If Only You Knew
by 2good2betrue
Summary: If only you knew I was telling the truth. If only you knew you shouldn't be with him. If only you knew I love you. Ross and Rachel story. Eventually little bit of C&M. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This story is about Ross and Rachel but it will include Monica and, eventually, Chandler. It's AU, but I will use some ideas from the show. It will start with Ross taking Rachel to prom, then it will continue from there. I know Ross and Rachel going to prom may have been done before, but keep reading. My story is different. I hope you enjoy reading it. Reviews are greatly appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: Friends does not belong to me.**

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><p>Rachel woke up to the buzz of her alarm clock with a smile on her face. All she had to do was make it through one more day of school. She couldn't wait; tonight she would have the perfect prom night. She had the perfect dress, the perfect shoes, and the perfect boyfriend, Chip Matthews.<p>

Rachel got dressed for school and headed downstairs. She ate her breakfast quickly because the less time she spent with her two annoying younger sisters the better. She grabbed her bag and headed out the front door. She waited on her front steps and, before long, Chip drove up the driveway to give her a ride to school in his sports car.

...

The day went by very slowly. Between trying to pay attention in math and daydreaming in science it felt like days before she finally got out of class. When the bell rang, signalling the beginning of lunch, Rachel walked the school halls to the cafeteria. Everyone's eyes were on her as she walked by. Everyone at Lincoln High knew her name. Girls were jealous of her, and guys wanted to be with her.

Rachel spotted her friends, Mindy, Leslie and Melissa, at their usual table in the cafeteria. But then she saw Monica sitting alone. Monica was not like Rachel's other friends. She wasn't at all shallow; she was kind and considerate of others. She was a great friend to spend time with when she wanted a break from talking about shoes or boys with her other friends. Rachel decided she wanted to sit with Monica for lunch.

...

The rest of the day went by just as slow as the morning. But, soon enough, it was time for her to go to Monica's house to leave for prom. She, Monica, Chip and Monica's date would be meeting there and then they would all head to prom together.

Rachel thought back to when she and Monica were younger. They used to plan what they would wear to prom and what their prom dates would be like. She walked up the Geller's front steps. She was already in her prom dress with her hair and make-up done, ready to have the night she had dreamed of for so long. She rang the doorbell and Monica's older brother, Ross, answered the door.

Ross' breath caught in his throat when he saw Rachel at the door. She looked so beautiful all dressed up for prom. He had had a crush on Rachel since the ninth grade, now he was in his first year of college and he still liked her. It seemed like everyone knew Ross liked her; everyone except Rachel. He knew that Rachel, probably, only saw him as Monica's geeky older brother. He had never been popular in high school, since he loved science and was never on any sports teams. Having Rachel so close to him, at the door, made him nervous.

"H-hi Rachel, come in. Monica shouldn't be too long, she's just up in her room finishing getting ready," Ross forced himself to say.

Rachel didn't have to wait very long in the foyer because soon Monica came down the stairs. She was dressed in her prom dress ready to leave. Rachel thought to herself that even though Monica was slightly overweight she looked fantastic.

"Wow, Mon you look so great!" Rachel exclaimed as Monica got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Thanks. You look great too!" Monica complimented back. They hugged and then sat in the living room while they waited for their dates to arrive. Ross wasn't sure what to do so he joined the girls in the living room. After a short time the doorbell rang and Monica's date, Roy Gublik, arrived. Then about half an hour went by and Chip still hadn't shown up.

"You have to leave soon if you're going to get there on time," Judy told the girls.

"Why isn't Chip here? I can't go to prom without a date," Rachel said, her eyes full of tears. Monica handed her a tissue and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Jack had an idea, he took his son aside.

"Ross, why don't you offer to go to prom with Rachel?" he suggested to Ross in a whisper, knowing Ross liked Rachel.

"She won't want to go with me. She wants to go with her boyfriend, not a dork like me," Ross answered back in a whisper.

"You won't know unless you ask," Mr. Geller stated. "You can borrow my tux. Just go ask her."

"Fine, I'll do it," Ross said as he went upstairs to change into his father's tux. A few minutes later he came back down dressed in the black suit carrying a bouquet of flowers he took from a vase on the stair landing.

"Rachel, here comes your knight in shining armour," Jack announced as Ross reached the bottom of the staircase. Rachel looked up from wiping her tears to see Ross in a tux.

"R-Rachel, I can take you to prom, if you'd like," Ross said timidly. Rachel considered his offer for a moment. On one hand Ross hadn't been very popular in high school so she didn't want to be seen with him. But, on the other hand he was very sweet and it was probably better to show up with someone rather than no one at all.

"Okay, Ross I'll go with you to prom," Rachel said. Ross handed Rachel the flowers, then Judy quickly took pictures of each of the couples before they left. The hall was just up the street; they decided to walk.

...

They got to the building and the music could be heard from outside. They entered and looked around. The room was dark except for the dance floor lighting and a few dim lights over the tables. The round tables, with chairs, were around the perimeter of the dance floor for people to sit at while they ate and drank. There were platters of food and drinks set out on more tables around the room. The large hall was packed with students dancing, chatting and having a good time with their friends and dates. Monica and Roy went off onto the dance floor promising they would catch up with Ross and Rachel later.

"So, what do you want to do?" Ross asked Rachel shyly.

"Can we just sit down for a minute?" Rachel asked quietly. She was on the verge of tears. Ross, seeing her expression, didn't answer he just nodded and then followed Rachel to the tables and chairs. Rachel sat down while Ross stood beside her, not knowing what to do.

Once seated Rachel couldn't hold back her tears any longer, she let the salty tears run down her face. She put her head in her hands and leaned her elbows on the table. She cried as she thought about being stood up by Chip. She wondered why he didn't show up. _Maybe he just couldn't make it for some reason._ She thought to herself. She couldn't help but think that he didn't show up because he didn't love her anymore. She felt humiliated. Her perfect prom was ruined.

Ross didn't know what to do. He couldn't stand seeing her so upset over Chip. _What does she see in this guy? He obviously doesn't understand how good he has it, having a girlfriend like Rachel. Most guys would kill to take a girl like her to prom. Why can't she see that?_ Ross thought to himself. He felt like he needed to comfort Rachel somehow. _This is her prom she should be having fun not crying over her jerk of a boyfriend. _Ross sat down in the chair next to her. After a few minutes he gently stroked her back in slow, soothing circles. Rachel was surprized to feel him touch her. She sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I'm such a mess," Rachel said miserably, through her tears. Ross could see the hurt in her eyes.

"It's okay to cry. He's your boyfriend and he didn't show up for prom. All I can say is: he's a jerk, he's crazy for standing you up," Ross said confidently.

"Thank you Ross," Rachel replied sweetly. She had never really noticed what a great guy Ross was. He was so sweet to offer to take her to prom and then console her about Chip. Monica had told her, a little while ago, that Ross had a crush on her. That made her think: was he just being nice or trying to get Chip out of the picture?

"I think you should forget about Chip and just enjoy yourself. You shouldn't mope around on your prom night," Ross said softly. Rachel agreed. Even if the night hadn't gone as planned she should still enjoy herself.

"Why don't we find Monica and Roy and then we can start dancing," Rachel suggested.

"Sounds good," Ross said in agreement. Monica and Roy didn't take long to find. They were both at a table full of snacks. Ross and Rachel approached them.

"Hi guys. I'm sorry I haven't had time to talk, Rach, are you okay?" Monica asked Rachel kindly.

"I'm feeling better. Ross cheered me up about the whole Chip incident," Rachel said happily. Monica smiled at Ross.

"Well, it's good to hear you're better. Come on let's dance the night away!" Monica said excitedly. The four of them went onto the dance floor and danced for quite a while. Rachel was surprized that none of her other friends came over to talk to her, but she didn't care because she was having a great time.

After all the dancing the four decided to take a break and sit down with a drink. The guys went to get punch for their dates. Monica and Rachel finally had time to talk about Chip. They talked over the possibilities of why he didn't come and about what it meant. Rachel felt good after her talk with Monica. She wondered what her other friends would say when they found out about Chip. She already knew one thing: they wouldn't say anything as nice as Monica had said.

The guys returned with the drinks and they all drank them while chatting and laughing. They were all having a great time. But, little did they know Chip did show up after all and he was watching Ross with Rachel. Chip was furious that Ross had come with her when he knew she had a boyfriend.

After having played fast songs for most of the night the DJ put on a slow song. Roy asked Monica to dance; Ross and Rachel sat alone at the table while the couple made their way to the dance floor. The floor was filled with couples. Rachel looked at them all and thought about how she would have danced with her boyfriend to this song.

Ross wanted to dance with Rachel. But he was nervous to ask, mainly because she had a boyfriend, it wouldn't be right. But, her boyfriend wasn't there. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him, right? Ross decided one dance should be fine. He got up from his seat and stood in front of her. His presence snapped her out of her daydream of dancing with Chip.

"Rachel, do you want to dance?" he asked nervously.

Rachel thought for a second. Was it right to dance with Ross if she had a boyfriend? But she quickly decided that Chip stood her up he didn't deserve her loyalty towards him.

"Sure," she answered. Ross took Rachel's hand as they walked onto the dance floor. She put her arms around the back of his neck and he gently placed his hands on either side of her waist. They swayed slowly to the music. After a while she leaned in so her head was against his chest. Ross hesitantly hugged her close as they continued to dance.

Meanwhile, Chip was watching the whole thing.

...

Roy was picked up by his mom from the hall, but the other three had to walk home. Rachel's house was around the block from the Geller's house, so Ross offered to walk her home. Monica said good bye as she reached her house; Ross and Rachel continued down the street.

Rachel and Ross walked silently side by side. Their arms brushed every once in a while. It felt natural and comfortable being alone together. They were a few houses away from Rachel's when Rachel stopped and turned towards Ross.

"I wanted to thank you for being so nice to me tonight. You gave me a prom I will never forget," Rachel stated with a smile.

"Don't mention it Rach, I'm glad you ended up having a good time. I'm sorry Chip didn't come. He made a bad choice by not taking an amazing and beautiful girl like you to prom," Ross answered shyly. Rachel smiled at him; with just those simple words he made her feel happier than she had felt all night. Her face became serious as she looked into his eyes. He took a step closer to her as he leaned in for a kiss. Their lips were inches apart when they heard a voice.

"Hey Rachel, where have you been all night?" Chip asked. Rachel and Ross quickly stepped apart as they turned around.

"I could ask you the same question," Rachel answered, bitterly.

"Listen, Rach, how about I walk you the rest of the way to your house and I'll explain everything to you tomorrow?" Chip suggested kindly. Rachel felt guilty for going to prom with Ross instead of Chip. So, she agreed to let him walk her the rest of the way. Rachel didn't say anything she just let Chip take her hand as they began walking.

"Bye," Ross said quietly, without anyone else hearing. He watched Chip and Rachel before he turned and walked in the opposite direction. The street was dark except for the streetlights as it was around midnight. All Ross could think about was Rachel, on his walk home. He was so close to kissing her. He would probably never get a chance like that again. He was just around the corner from his house when he heard running foot steps behind him. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Chip running towards him.

"You didn't think I'd let you get away without talking to you, did you?" Chip said aggressively. Ross became nervous.

"Listen, I'm sorry-" Ross began before he was cut off by Chip.

"Oh, okay, you're sorry? Sorry doesn't make up for you taking my girlfriend to prom and then practically kissing her, while you knew she had a boyfriend!" Chip yelled.

Without warning Chip lunged forward and punched Ross.


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to thank the people who reviewed the first chapter. Thank you for your kind reviews. It's nice to know that someone likes my story. **

**ohyesrossandrachel - thank you so much for your lovely words! Your review made my day! It really means a lot to me that you appreciate my story! Again, thank you!**

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it! **

**Please review!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Ross didn't have any time to defend himself. Chip lunged forward and punched Ross square in the side of his face. Ross stepped backwards from the power of the blow. His back came into contact with a fence. He stood there for a second, shocked that Chip had done that. He could feel blood running down the side of his face and he could taste blood in his mouth.<p>

Ross was terrified as he noticed the wild look in Chip's eyes. This punch wasn't the end. Ross thought of running but Chip had him cornered against a tall, wooden fence.

Chip was a muscular guy compared to Ross who was tall and lanky. Ross knew he had to try and protect himself because he had no chance trying to fight back. He put his hands in front of his face, but Chip thrust his fist into his unprotected ribs.

Ross doubled over in pain. He let out a yelp of agony. He tried to call for help but he was winded. The only thing he thought of doing was telling Chip to stop. Ross stood up straight when, suddenly, Chip grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Chip pulled him until their faces were only inches apart. Ross felt Chip's breath against his face.

"Don't ever go near Rachel again, got it?" Chip said menacingly. Ross tried to respond. But before he could say anything Chip threw him, hard, against the sidewalk. Ross landed on his side, hearing the awful crack of his arm being broken by the impact against the concrete.

Ross lay defencelessly on the side walk. The pain was excruciating as he tried to look around to see where Chip was. Without hesitation Chip gave Ross one final kick to the side of his ribcage. The strike knocked all the air out of Ross. The force of the kick made him hit his head on the hard sidewalk. He lifted his head to watch Chip run away into the dark street.

Ross put a hand to his head, and when he looked at his fingers they were covered in blood. He tried to sit up but the pain in his side felt like a knife stabbing him. He tried to yell for help, but the throbbing pain in his head became unbearable. The pain quickly took over and he was rapidly engulfed by the dark of unconsciousness.

…..

It was around two in the morning when a man that lived on the Geller's street walked home from his nightshift at work. The man walked down the street when he noticed Ross lying, lifelessly, on the ground. He ran over to him.

"Hey, can you hear me?" the man said as he knelt beside Ross. Ross didn't respond so the man checked Ross' vital signs. He was alive, but definitely injured. He spotted a payphone on the corner of the street, so he ran over to it to call 9-1-1.

"9-1-1 what's your emergency?" the emergency response dispatcher said on the phone.

"I found a teenaged boy lying unconscious on my street," the man responded.

"Where are you? We'll send an ambulance," the lady replied.

…..

The ambulance showed up a few minutes later. After loading Ross into the ambulance they found his wallet in his pocket. They found his name and emergency contacts. They called the Geller's as soon as they arrived at the hospital.

Ross' family was worried sick when he didn't come home after two hours. They were devastated when they found out Ross was injured. As soon as they heard the news they quickly drove to the hospital to see him.

…..

The next morning Rachel was lying awake in bed. She wondered what she was going to do today. She didn't bother changing into her clothes, as it was a Saturday. She went downstairs for breakfast in her pyjamas.

Rachel entered the kitchen to see her mother talking quietly on the phone with someone. But she hung up just as Rachel entered the doorway. Sandra Green immediately turned to look her daughter in the eyes. Rachel instantly knew something was wrong by the serious look on her mom's face.

"Rachel, why don't you sit down," Sandra said solemnly. Rachel obeyed and sat across from her mother at the kitchen table. Sandra looked as if she was thinking over what she was going to say so Rachel broke the silence.

"Who was that on the phone?" She asked impatiently.

"That was Mrs. Geller," Rachel was shocked that Judy phoned, she never phoned their house, something had to be wrong. "She told me that there was an incident after prom last night," Sandra continued. Rachel had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she waited for her mom to give details. "Ross was beat up by someone - No one knows who. He's in the hospital. Judy just wanted to let us know," Sandra finished.

Rachel felt her heart drop. Ross? Hurt? Rachel jumped up from her chair and sprinted up the stairs. She got dressed in a rush and then ran down the stairs to head for the door. She was going to go see Ross.

…..

Rachel arrived at the hospital to see Monica and her parents in the waiting room. She ran to hug Monica, who had tears in her eyes. Then she hugged both Jack and Judy.

"What happened?" Rachel asked Monica, concerned.

"No one knows, Ross won't tell us. All he told us is that he was beat up by some guy. He said he needed to talk to you, as well," Monica explained sombrely. Rachel didn't know what to say. Ross was beat up? When? Where? She needed to talk to him as soon as possible.

"Can I go see him?" Rachel asked Ross and Monica's parents.

"He was sleeping when we visited him last. But, if you want, you can go see if he's awake. We'll be out here, we need to talk to his doctor," Judy answered, Rachel nodded. "He's in room 119. Down that hallway," Judy informed Rachel as she pointed down a hall off the waiting room.

Before Rachel could leave Monica touched her arm, to stop her for a moment.

"If you find out who did this to him, please tell me," Monica said, her emotion made her voice come out in a whisper. Monica was worried about her brother. She wondered who could have done such a thing to him. Rachel gave Monica a nod, and then she gave her another hug.

Rachel immediately walked to Ross' room.

…..

Rachel stood outside Ross' hospital room. She took a deep breath before knocking lightly on the wooden door. She heard no answer so she walked in quietly. She didn't know what to expect.

Ross was lying in the hospital bed with his eyes closed. He had a bandage wrapped around his head. He also had a cast on his left arm, which was in a sling. He was bruised all over. There was a cut, which had stitches holding it closed, on his cheekbone and another cut on the side of his head. He was still connected, by his hand, to the IV.

Rachel was speechless when she saw him. She didn't think he would look this awful. He looked so fragile. After a while she took a seat on the corner of his bed. She sat for a while watching his chest rise and fall with every breath he took. She didn't want to wake him.

Ross wasn't in a deep sleep; he had become aware of someone watching him. He slowly opened his eyes and was surprized to see Rachel.

"Hey you," Rachel whispered, with a small smile, when she saw Ross open his eyes. He tried to sit up. As he winced in pain Rachel reached out a hand to gently push him so he sat back against his pillow. A short silence was broken by Ross.

"Rachel, how did you know where I was? When did you get here?" Ross asked curiously in a hoarse voice.

"Your mom phoned my house. I drove down here a little while ago. I saw your family in the waiting room," Rachel responded as she thought back to what Monica had said. "What happened after I left you last night?" she asked softly, wanting to know the answer to that burning question.

"Rachel, I want you to know that I'm telling you the truth, okay?" Ross began. This wouldn't be an easy conversation.

"O-Kay?" Rachel answered with a confused look on her face.

"I was beat up by Chip. He was angry that I took you to prom, since I knew you were his girlfriend. He walked you home, and then he ran to catch up with me. He punched me in the face, then the ribs," Ross explained, pointing to the bandage wrapped around his torso. "Then he threatened me to stay away from you before he threw me to the ground. He kicked me, making me hit my head, and I was left unconscious in the street," Ross paused. Rachel had an emotionless expression on her face. Ross decided to continue. "A man found me last night and called an ambulance."

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. Chip did this to him? She couldn't believe Ross. _Chip has always been so nice, why would he do this? _Rachel made a snap assumption:_ Ross must have made this up to get me to turn against Chip. He probably thinks that if Chip and I break up he will have a chance with me._

"You made this up. Didn't you?" Rachel said furiously. "You just want to break us up! I know about your crush!" the words slipped out of Rachel's mouth, but she didn't care. Ross was surprized she had said that. She knew about his crush? He didn't have time to ask her anything, he had to convince her he wasn't making this up.

"Rachel, I'm telling the truth. It really was Chip. You have to believe me!" Ross pleaded, feeling hurt.

"I can't, Ross! Chip is a nice guy! He has always been nice to me! I can't believe you actually want me to think he did this to you!" Rachel said becoming outraged.

"What are you talking about? Chip isn't a nice guy! He stood you up last night, remember? Now, he beat me up!" Ross argued also getting angry.

"You don't know what he's like! You don't know him like I do! He's a great guy! I'm done arguing with you... I have to go… See you around," Rachel said bitterly before she turned and stormed out of the room.

Ross lay there thinking over their argument. _I can't believe she won't trust me about this?_ He thought to himself. _She shouldn't be with him. She doesn't realize how dangerous he is. What if he hurts her? I have to convince her I'm telling the truth… But how?_

…..

Rachel drove home in an angry daze. She decided that she needed to talk to Chip. Rachel entered the house to find her mom waiting in the living room.

"Sweetie, what's going on?" Sandra asked as she entered the foyer. Rachel continued walking.

"I'll talk to you later, Mom. I have to talk to Chip about something," Rachel answered bitterly; she had other things on her mind. Sandra didn't say another word. Something about her daughter's demeanour made her drop the conversation. Rachel looked like she had a lot on her mind.

As soon as Rachel got to her room she picked up the phone and dialled Chip's number. She invited him over to talk.

A while later the doorbell rang. Rachel opened the door for Chip to come in. They went up to Rachel's bedroom for some privacy. Chip sat on her bed and Rachel closed the door to her room. She, then, joined him on her bed, sitting across from him.

"I asked you to come over so I could talk to you about the whole prom thing," Rachel said, trying to keep herself together, she was still emotional about it.

"Rachel, here's what happened. I forgot we were meeting at Monica's house. I thought we had agreed to meet at the hall. I waited for you at the entrance of the building for a least a half , I gave up on waiting at the entrance, thinking maybe you came in another way. I went inside to look for you. Then that's when I saw you with _him_," Chip explained.

"Chip, I'm sorry I went to prom with Ross. I just didn't want to have to show up to prom without a date, and I thought you stood me up. Please don't be mad at me," Rachel said.

"I'm not mad at you, Rach," Chip said before hugging her. _The only person I'm mad at is Ross_. Chip said to himself.

Rachel couldn't get the story had Ross told her about Chip out of her head. _Should I tell Chip about Ross and what he said happened?_ Rachel thought to herself. _It couldn't hurt, right? I can tell my boyfriend anything. I have to know if what Ross said is true. _The story worried her. After a while of contemplating she decided to go for it.

"Chip, I have something else I need to talk to you about," Rachel said nervously, looking Chip in the eyes.

"Okay. I'm all ears," Chip responded. Rachel's expression was hard to read she looked concerned and uncertain.

"I wanted to tell you that Ross was beat up last night," Rachel began. Chip's eyes grew wide with shock. He acted as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Really? When? You walked home with him most of the way," Chip exclaimed while he pretended to be concerned for Ross.

"It was on his way home, after we left him to walk to my house," Rachel told him.

"Wow, I can't believe it! How did you find out about this?" Chip asked.

"His mother called my house from the hospital this morning, so I went over and visited him," Rachel answered. Hearing this Chip got angry, but he didn't let Rachel see his emotions. He kept a straight face.

"That's not all. He told me that after you walked me home you caught up to him. He said you told him you were angry that Ross took me to prom." Rachel hesitated. "He told me you were the one that beat him up," Rachel finished with a worried look on her face.

"What? That's crazy. Why would I beat him up?" Chip said with an offended tone of voice.

Rachel thought he was upset because he couldn't believe Ross lied like that. Chip was actually hiding his anger. He couldn't believe Ross didn't listen to him. He told Ross to stay away from his girlfriend and he didn't listen. Also, to top it all off, Ross told Rachel about their encounter. Chip decided he would have to have another chat with Ross.

"So, by your expression I'm guessing you had nothing to do with this. Right?" Rachel prompted. Chip snapped out of his daze.

"Ross probably hit his head really hard. He must have imagined the whole thing. Or maybe he made it up to make me look bad," Chip reasoned. Rachel was relieved that Chip didn't hurt Ross. _If Chip didn't hurt Ross than who did?_ Rachel pondered.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Reviews are greatly appreciated. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Chip and Rachel arrived at school right before the first bell rang, signalling the start of class. Chip had driven her to school, as usual. It was a frigid autumn morning, the wind was crisp and the air was cool. Chip put his arm around Rachel as they walked briskly into the school.<p>

Chip and Rachel's relationship was unaffected by the prom incident. It was like the whole thing had never happened. Chip would drive Rachel to school every morning, they would have lunch with their friends, everything was normal.

Rachel was confused by how Chip was acting. After going to prom without him Rachel anticipated he would be been angry at her. But, Chip was acting the complete opposite of angry. He acted as if the whole thing had never happened. He didn't seem mad at all; in fact they hadn't spoken about the incident for weeks. The last time they talked about prom was the evening after Rachel visited Ross in the hospital.

_Ross. _She couldn't get him out of her head.

Rachel had been over to the Geller's house to see Monica many times in the past few weeks. When it was just her and Monica at the house everything was great. But, Ross would come home most weekends, since his college was only an hour away. With Ross there the time she spent with Monica felt different. Her visits changed from a fun and relaxed atmosphere to uncomfortable and awkward. Every time Ross was there she felt anxious and on edge, but why?

Being around Ross brought back so many memories. There was one memory in particular she wished she could forget: the conversation about Chip. That discussion would always come flooding into her head when she looked at Ross.

Rachel had tried so many times, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to him about the night of prom. They had already gotten into a fight, who knows what could happen in the next conversation.

She wished things would go back to the way they were before prom. Ross would be there when she visited Monica. He would always chat with her, sharing a story about college or talking about science. She used to love how nervous he would get around her. He was always so nice to her, now they barely spoke.

Rachel had thought about this situation many times. She had decided to believe Chip, so why was being around Ross so hard?

Rachel could only come to one conclusion: she felt sorry for him. But she knew no matter how sorry she felt for him she had to side with Chip. She just couldn't believe Ross. It was difficult to stay mad at Ross, but he was barely an acquaintance, Chip was her boyfriend. Rachel couldn't get the idea out of her head that Ross had made up the whole story to push her away from Chip. As she thought over these issues she remembered the last time she was at Monica's house.

_- - - Flashback - - -_

_Rachel walked over to the Geller's house; Monica had called her that morning. She made her way up the front steps and knocked on the door. Monica answered the door and, after the friends greeted each other, Rachel entered the house._

_Monica led the way into the kitchen talking nonstop. Rachel wasn't paying attention to the conversation. She was looking around for the one person she didn't want to see. After all it was a Saturday, he could be home. _

_Rachel sat down at the kitchen table while Monica got both of them drinks from the fridge. As soon as Monica sat down, after handing Rachel a drink, the front door opened. Rachel wasn't surprized when she heard a very familiar voice._

"_Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Ross said loudly announcing his arrival. He was home from college for the weekend._

"_Mom and Dad are outside, Ross!" Monica shouted back, with an annoyed tone to her voice. Ross left his bag at the door and then entered the kitchen. He noticed Rachel sitting there. Monica didn't tell him Rachel would be over._

"_H-hi, Rachel. H-how are you?" He tried to say confidently but he was nervous. After their chat in his hospital room being around Rachel made him more nervous than he had ever been before._

"_I'm fine," Rachel said coldly. She was still angry at him about the whole Chip story._

"_That's… good," Ross replied with a hurt expression on his face. She still didn't trust him. He had hoped that they would be past this by now._

…_.._

_Later that evening Ross was in his room as he waited for dinner to be ready. Ross looked up to see Rachel in his doorway. How long had she been standing there?_

"_Ross, I wanted to talk to you…" Rachel said softly, looking down at her feet. She needed to talk to him; she wanted to get the prom incident sorted out. But, she lost her nerve as she thought of their last argument._

"_Yes?" Ross nervously replied, unsure of what she would say._

"_I… um… wanted to tell you that… dinner's ready," Rachel finished awkwardly. She couldn't do it. She didn't want to fight with him again._

Ever since prom Rachel noticed something strange going on at Lincoln High. It seemed like everywhere she went people would look at her and then turn to their friends and whisper. She would sit down at desks in her classes and people around her would suddenly stop talking. Everyone was giving her strange looks. Rachel was feeling paranoid that the whole school was gossiping about her.

Before long it was lunchtime. Rachel joined her friends Mindy, Leslie and Melissa at a table in the cafeteria. They were deep in conversation when Rachel approached them, but they hastily stopped talking as soon as Rachel sat down.

"Okay, I've had enough of this! What is everyone gossiping about that I'm not allowed to hear?" Rachel said, fed up with being out of the loop. Rachel's friends looked at each other, as if deciding what they should tell her. Finally Mindy spoke.

"Um… everyone's talking about you and who you brought you to prom," Mindy said slowly. Rachel wasn't surprized, she had a feeling this would happen.

"What are they saying?" Rachel asked.

"Well, everyone is wondering why you didn't go to prom with Chip," Mindy answered.

"There have been people saying that you went to prom with that other guy because you broke up with Chip. But then everyone was confused because you are still dating. So basically we're all just trying to figure out what's going on between you two," Leslie added to what Mindy said. Rachel was shocked that people were that interested in her life. Was her life really that interesting? She needed to set these rumours straight.

"I went to prom with Ross because I thought Chip wasn't going to show up. It was all a big misunderstanding, he thought we were meeting at one place and I thought we were meeting at another. That's it. We're still together," Rachel explained.

"Why would you go to prom with someone other than your boyfriend, Rach? You shouldn't have gone with Ross, he's such a loser!" Mindy exclaimed.

"I didn't have a date! What could I do, I didn't want to show up alone!" Rachel said defensively.

"Couldn't you have gone with someone else? He's so… weird," Melissa said with a discussed look on her face.

"Well, anyways, now that you know the truth can you get everyone to stop talking about us?" Rachel asked.

"I guess. But promise us one thing. You won't damage your reputation like that again. Everyone thought you dumped Chip Matthews for some dork," Mindy told Rachel with a worried expression.

Rachel nodded her head as if she was agreeing that she made a stupid mistake. But, inside she was thinking about other things. She did think Ross was a bit dorky but prom made her see him in a different way. _They don't know how sweet and kind and gentle and sympathetic and… hold on a second why am I thinking nice things about him he lied to me. No matter how nice he is I still can't trust him._ She thought to herself.

Rachel had expected to have a talk like this with her friends. But, she had never thought they would dislike Ross so much. He was in college. Even if she didn't go to prom with her boyfriend she thought her friends would like seeing her show up with a college guy as her last minute date.

…..

Ross returned to college after three days in the hospital. He had healed a little, so he looked a bit better. The bruises were fading, and he didn't have to wear the bandage around his head anymore. He still did have a cast.

Ross had come to a conclusion about his feelings. The fight with Rachel would force him to avoid her. He could move on. The only problem was he couldn't stop thinking about her.

In fact Ross hadn't stopped thinking about Rachel since the ninth grade. He had even known her before the ninth grade, since she and Monica had been friends ever since they were little. He had only thought of her as his sister's friend back then. But, in grade nine things changed. He began to look at her differently. She soon went from being just his sister's friend to a girl he liked. His feelings grew more and more the older he got.

He had had a crush on her for so long, how could he just forget about his feelings? There had to be a way that he could get her to believe him. He needed to talk to her again. It wasn't going to be easy.

Ross was standing in the doorway of his dorm room with his suitcase in hand. He had returned from class a few minutes ago, and then he had packed. Now he was ready to drive back home. It was Thanksgiving the next day, so he had a break from school for the holidays. It would be nice to spend more than a weekend at home with his family.

"Bye, Scott!" Ross called to his roommate.

"Bye. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving! Say hi to your family for me!" Scott answered.

"Thanks, Happy Thanksgiving to you too! Have fun with your girlfriend," Ross said before heading out the door.

…..

After a little more than an hour of driving Ross finally reached his house. It was dusk by the time he pulled into the driveway. The neighbourhood was very still compared to the busy college campus he was used to.

Ross parked the car. He turned it off and removed the keys from the ignition. He stepped out of the car and walked to get his suitcase. From the corner of his eye he spotted a figure of a man walking towards him on the side walk.

He immediately knew who it was. He had his trunk open pulling out his suitcase when he heard the very voice that had been in his nightmares since prom.

"Hey Ross. You home for Thanksgiving?" Chip said smoothly walking closer to Ross.

"W-what do you want Chip?" Ross asked, trying to keep his voice, as well as his body, from trembling with fear.

"Oh, you know, I just thought I'd come over and have another little chat with you," Chip responded. Ross was scared. Was Chip going to beat him up again? Ross prepared himself to run, just in case.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Ross. I thought I made it clear that I didn't want you near Rachel ever again. But, she told me that you had a little talk the day after prom," Chip was getting enraged. Ross swallowed hard. "And not only did you ignore my request but you also told her I beat you up." Chip paused. Ross noticed the same look in his eyes he had during their last meeting. His eyes were wild, like an animal stalking his prey.

"Chip, I-" Ross got out before Chip interrupted him.

"I'm not going to tell you again. Don't. Go. Near. Rachel. If I hear that you were anywhere near her I won't be the only one beating you up. Don't tell anyone it was me who is behind this. Your punishment will be worse next time. I have friends, you know. Friends that are on the football team. I'll bring them along next time and we'll just see what happens to you when we all beat you up. Understand?" Chip threatened.

"Y-y-yes, I-I understand," Ross choked out, quietly. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Good. See you 'round," Chip said intimidatingly as he turned and walked confidently back up the street, the way he came.

…..

Ross had a petrified expression on his face as he leaned back against his car. He couldn't stand anymore; his knees were shaking horribly. In fact his whole body was shaking. He slid his back down the car and sat on the ground. He had never been so terrified for his life. Chips words were ringing in his ears.

_Don't. Go. Near. Rachel._ _If I hear that you were anywhere near her I won't be the only one beating you up._

Ross didn't know how long he spent sitting there on the cold pavement. It was getting dark. He didn't want to be in the dark, he was paranoid that Chip would come back. He stood up and walked over to where he left his suitcase. It was on the ground behind his car, he had dropped it when Chip came. He had also left his trunk open. He closed it and locked his car, before taking a deep breath to calm himself. He couldn't let his family know about this, he had to act normal. He hadn't told his family who beat him up. He knew for sure he couldn't tell them now; his words might get back to Chip.

He walked up the steps to the door and knocked. Monica opened the door to see her brother. She hugged him, happy he was home. He entered and put his bag down to hug his parents, who also came to greet him.

"Ross, you're 45 minutes late. What happened?" Judy asked.

"I got stuck in traffic, sorry," Ross answered, quickly thinking of an excuse.

"It's okay. We're just happy you're home for Thanksgiving," Judy said, bringing her son's suitcase into the house.

"Oh, speaking of Thanksgiving," Monica piped in. "Guess who will be attending dinner this year… Rachel! Her parents are going on a trip and her sisters are having dinner with their friends so she's all alone. Isn't this going to be fun?" Monica said excitedly.

Ross stared at her blankly not hearing a word Monica said after hearing Rachel's name. Not Rachel, anyone but Rachel. Chip would find out. Then he would be beat to death by him and his friends. _How can I get out of this?_ Ross thought to himself. _I can't be here when Rachel's here. _

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><p><strong>AN: I know what you're thinking: <strong>_**Thanksgiving? It's still September!**_** My explanation: Canadian Thanksgiving is in about two weeks and it's the only idea I had :)**

**Anyways, remember to review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. It's nice to know people are enjoying this story.**

**Please remember to leave a review for this chapter. I just want to know what you think. :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p>Ross tossed and turned in his childhood bedroom. He laid there on his back, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling. It was a clear night and the moonlight streamed through his window, casting shadows across the room. Sleeping in his old bed, surrounded by his science awards and dinosaur knick-knacks, normally made him feel comfortable. But, tonight he didn't feel calm. Tonight he was feeling the complete opposite of comfortable and it was all because of Chip and Rachel.<p>

Ross had never felt more scared in his life. As he thought about the day's events he remembered the night he was beat up. He thought about the fact that tomorrow he would have to spend the whole evening with Rachel, which was exactly what Chip had threatened him not to do. His stomach was knotted with the fear that Rachel would tell Chip he had been with her. Then Chip would beat him up for the second time.

Ross had to find a way to get out of being near Rachel. _I could pretend I'm sick, and then I wouldn't have to go downstairs – except I suck at lying. I could ask Monica to tell Rachel she can't come for Thanksgiving dinner – but then I would have to tell Monica why I don't want to see Rachel. I could climb out my window – but I can't leave, that will just worry my parents._ Ross thought over many ways to get out of dinner, but none of them seemed reasonable.

Ross had no choice; he would have to spend dinner with Rachel. Ross reassured himself that the only way Chip could find out about this was if Rachel told him. He realized his only option was to find a way to get Rachel to keep this dinner a secret. That meant he was going to have to talk to her. This evening could be quite a disaster if they got in another fight, but it was a risk he would have to take.

…..

It was evening and Rachel was at home alone getting ready to go to Monica's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She was both regretting her choice and happy about her choice to spend Thanksgiving at the Geller's house. Ross was going to be there, so the evening would be awkward. But, on the plus side, she had never spent Thanksgiving with anyone other than her family so she was eager to see how the Gellers celebrated the holiday.

It was too bad Chip and his family were away for Thanksgiving because she would have been able to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend. That would have been a lot less tense than this dinner was going to be, with Ross there. She wondered if they would talk at all.

Rachel took a long time deciding what to wear, she wanted to look nice. She finished getting ready and she was, surprisingly, on time when she locked up and left the house. It was a cool autumn evening but she decided to walk anyways.

The streetlights cast a warm yellow glow over the street as Rachel walked around the block. The only thought that occupied her mind was of Ross. She had to figure out what she would say to him, but nothing came to her. She would have to live in the moment, speak whatever came to mind at that instant. This was going to be a difficult evening to get through.

…..

The turkey was in the oven, almost ready to be served, the rest of the food was cooked and the table was set. It was almost time for Thanksgiving dinner to begin. The Gellers were just waiting for Rachel to arrive.

As if on cue Rachel rang the doorbell.

"Ross, can you get that? It's probably Rachel," Monica called from the kitchen; she was busy helping her mother with dinner.

Ross didn't respond; he just walked to the front door. Before he turned the doorknob he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He opened the door to reveal Rachel dressed up in an elegant blouse and skirt. His heart pounded hard in his chest. Why did Rachel have to look so terrific every time he opened the door for her?

"_Ross_," Rachel said coldly and bitterly, obviously she was still upset with him. Maybe having a talk with Rachel would be harder than Ross had originally thought. He didn't reply as he reached to take Rachel's coat and hang it up in the closet. Rachel walked into the living room.

"Hey Rach!" Monica said excitedly as she entered the living room from the kitchen. Monica ran and hugged her friend. Ross entered the living room slowly. When he progressed into the doorway of the living room he locked eyes with Rachel. She quickly looked away from his eyes and turned her head to face away from him, clearly giving him the cold shoulder.

"Dinner's ready!" Judy shouted, as she walked through the living room to place the turkey on the table.

Everybody took their seats around the table. Jack was at one end, Judy at the other, Monica and Rachel sat next to each other on one side and Ross sat alone on the other side.

…..

"This food is delicious Mrs. Geller," Rachel complimented during a break in the continuous dinner conversation.

"Thank you Rachel. I can't take all the credit, Monica helped," Judy replied in a strange, almost annoyed, tone.

"Really, Mon? That's incredible!" Rachel exclaimed.

"I'm thinking of becoming a chef," Monica stated proudly.

"What do you want to be Rachel?" Jack asked.

"I want to do something in fashion," Rachel answered confidently.

"We all know Ross is going to school to be a palaeontologist, right Ross?" Jack asked already knowing the answer.

"Oh, um, yeah," Ross said distractedly. He looked spaced out and tired.

_Ross has been acting strange tonight_, Rachel noticed. When Rachel had been over for dinner in the past Ross would always be involved in the conversation. Now he simply sat there staring at his food, slowly picking at it with his fork. His expression made Rachel think he had a lot on his mind. He appeared to be nervous about whatever he was thinking. She wondered what was going on.

…..

Everyone was satisfied with the lovely dinner they had finished. Ross was helping his mother clean up while Rachel and Monica chatted in the living room. Jack was napping on the couch.

"Ross is acting very strange tonight, isn't he?" Rachel asked Monica when they were far enough away from Ross, so he couldn't overhear their discussion.

"He has been awfully quiet and jumpy, hasn't he?" Monica told Rachel realizing it herself.

"What do you think is wrong?" Rachel inquired. She had a possible answer in mind, but she wanted to know if there was something else going on that she didn't know about.

"He's probably acting that way because he likes you still. I'm sure being around a crush is nerve wracking. Or maybe something's going on at school," Monica guessed shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah either is possible," Rachel said, while her mind was thinking otherwise. It was possible he still had feelings for her and that's why he was nervous around her. But that couldn't be the reason why he was so quiet. She had been around him before when he had a crush on her and he was never so silent. He would usually ramble, nervously, when they were together.

This was most likely about his whole Chip story. Maybe he was getting ready to tell her he was lying. That would explain why he was nervous and appearing to be deep in thought. She had to talk to him. Rachel turned towards the dining table, where Judy was standing.

"Judy, I can help Ross with the dishes. It's the least I can do to thank you for letting me come to Thanksgiving dinner," Rachel offered with a smile.

"Okay, that would be a big help. Ross is already getting started on the dishes in the kitchen. But, I'm sure he could use the help. He only has one good hand you know," Judy told Rachel, referring to Ross' arm that was still in a cast.

"See you in a bit," Rachel said to Monica as she turned to walk into the kitchen.

…..

Ross was standing at the counter, with a sponge in hand, filling the sink with soap and water. He didn't hear Rachel open the door and enter the kitchen. Rachel closed the doors behind her before walking towards the sink.

"I'll do the washing, you don't want to get your cast wet," Rachel said as she walked to stand at Ross' side. Ross jumped with shock.

"Rachel, you scared me!" Ross exclaimed. He held his chest while catching his breath.

"What has you so on edge tonight?" Rachel asked Ross. She reached across him to take the sponge from his hand. She turned off the water and began putting some dishes in the sink.

"It's nothing," Ross answered. He grabbed a tea towel from a drawer to dry the dishes. Ross wondered why she wasn't being cold towards him.

"Alright," Rachel said, but she didn't believe him for a second. They were silent for the rest of the dishes. The only noises were the sounds of the tap running and the dishes clanking together in the sink. Ross put the last dish away and they were finished. Ross turned to Rachel.

"That's the last one, but, before you leave I need to talk to you," Ross said seriously as he looked her in the eyes. Rachel saw that he looked fearful.

"Okay," Rachel responded as she drained the sink. Ross took a deep breath before he spoke.

"You need to trust me about this whole Chip thing," Ross let out in one breath. Rachel turned to face him before answering.

"I can't, Ross, we already talked about this. Chip is a nice guy," Rachel said angrily, she didn't want to have this conversation again.

"Rachel, please listen to me… He's not nice, he stood you up for prom, and then he beat me up and now," Ross paused thinking of his and Chip's last encounter, "now he threatened to beat me up another time, if I ever went near you again. But he said that this time he would bring his friends to help," Ross tried to convince her. But, Rachel couldn't believe him. His lie kept growing and growing. She was outraged.

"Where did this happen, Ross? In your little made up world where Chip is a mean guy who picks on people?" Rachel asked trying her best to keep her voice low.

"Rachel, I'm not making this up, I swear. When I pulled into the driveway last night he came down the street. He was unhappy I saw you again after he beat me up for taking you to prom. He's dangerous Rachel!" Ross finished getting angry that she still wouldn't believe him.

"What do you want me to do Ross? Break up with him? There are no other witnesses to the violence you're describing! I'm not going to leave him because one person says he's bad!" Rachel snapped back, furiously.

"Rachel he's dangerous, you shouldn't be near him! Please listen to me! You shouldn't date him," Ross pleaded.

"You can't tell me who I should and shouldn't date! I can make my own decisions! I don't need your help! He's the best boyfriend I've ever had! I know he wouldn't do any of the things you're telling me!" Rachel almost yelled back. Ross felt like he was being stabbed in the heart. Why wouldn't she believe him, still?

"Rachel he may not physically hurt you but he's going to emotionally hurt you. I have witnesses this time," Ross said calmly. Rachel crossed her arms and gave him an icy glare; she waited for him to continue.

"Chip is lying to you about why he didn't show up on the night of prom. Monica told me that she saw Chip kissing someone else that night. Then they went into the bathroom together. She didn't want to tell you, but I think you should know," Ross finished. Rachel stood there with her mouth wide open in shock. _How could he make up something so cruel?_ Rachel thought.

"Why would you say something like that Ross?" Rachel questioned with a hurt voice, she held in all the anger she was feeling.

"I said it because it's the truth, Rach. He cheated on you; he slept with some other girl. This is what I was trying to say before. He might not hit you or punch you but he slept with someone else. He hurt you in a different way. You need to get away from him before-" Ross was interrupted by Rachel.

"Before what, Ross? Before he sleeps with another girl? Before he hurts you again? Ross just stop! - Stop making up stories! Chip didn't do anything wrong, I take his word for it! Stop trying to win me over, or whatever the hell you're doing! I'm taken, I'm with Chip! Stop lying to my face!" Rachel was yelling now. She held back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She paused a moment calming herself. "I can't deal with you anymore..." she said quietly avoiding his gaze.

Rachel turned to head out the door. Ross gently grabbed her by the wrist so she wouldn't leave. She stopped to look at him. Silent tears ran down his cheeks.

"Rachel, you don't have to believe me but I need you to promise to keep this visit a secret from Chip. Don't tell him you were near me. Please…" Ross had the most miserable look in his eyes. He was crying as he thought of Chip beating him up again. "Please. He'll hurt me. Or worse, he'll hurt you."

Rachel paused and looked at him. Was he telling the truth, or just crying because he couldn't win her over? She couldn't stand to look at him anymore. She had to leave the room before she started crying too.

Rachel stood there with him holding her hand by the wrist. She thought to herself. _Was I too hard on him? He's really sticking to his story if he is lying._ All the while they stared intensely into each other's eyes. Time seemed to stand still. It seemed like this gaze lasted for hours, but it was only a few seconds. Ross was trying to beg her to believe him with his eyes. She had to look away. Then she decided she had to go think everything over without seeing the sad expression on his face. She was feeling overwhelmed by all the things he had told her.

Rachel softly pulled her hand he was still holding on to by the wrist. Ross let go without putting up a fight. She turned around one last time and walked towards the double doors. She didn't look at him, she stared straight ahead.

"Bye, Ross," Rachel said quietly, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Ross didn't protest this time. He had said all he could say to her. She had to decide what to do on her own. Rachel took a deep breath, trying hard to compose her emotions before she exited the kitchen.

She entered the living room looking normal. Monica was sitting waiting for her, Jack was still asleep on the couch and Judy was now reading a book.

"It's getting late, I should get home," Rachel said causing Judy and Monica to look up at her. "Thank you so much for dinner," Rachel said calmly.

"Thank you for coming sweetie," Judy answered. "We'll see you soon."

"I'll walk you to the door," Monica offered. Rachel looked back at the kitchen one last time. Ross hadn't come out to say goodbye.

"I'll call you tomorrow Mon," Rachel told her friend before she put on her jacket and walked out the door. She turned to walk to her house. The wind was cold and the sky was dark, as it was now quite late. She shivered, but was it from the cold or from the argument? As usual, she couldn't get Ross out of her head.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thank you for the reviews! They make my day!**

**Here's the ****next chapter! Hope you like it!**

**Remember to review!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p>Ross stood in the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, tears still falling from his eyes. Ross couldn't believe how fast Rachel and his relationship had gone downhill. Well, if you could really call what they had a relationship, they had never been friends. But, now they would certainly not be anything close to friends, which was part of the reason Ross was so upset.<p>

Ross and Rachel were at least on speaking terms before prom. Ross anticipated that going to prom with Rachel would give him a chance to show her how great he was. He had hoped that she would see he wasn't just Monica's geeky older brother, but as someone she could rely on to be there for her.

Ross had always wanted a chance to show Rachel how great a boyfriend he could be. He had never assumed that she would leave Chip and date him; he had only hoped they could at least become better friends. He always had a feeling that Chip wasn't the right guy for Rachel. At least he was right about that. But he was wrong about one thing: he thought Rachel would trust him about Chip.

Ross had known Rachel forever, or at least that's how it felt. Monica and Rachel had always been friends, they went to the same elementary school, they went to the same middle school, and now they went to the same high school. Was he wrong to think Rachel would believe him? He had never lied to her before. Why on earth would she believe Chip, a boy she had known for three years, over him, a guy she had known most of her life?

The other reason he was so upset was, simply, fear. Rachel hadn't given him an answer when he asked her not to tell Chip about the thanksgiving dinner. What if she told him? Chip would hurt him worse than the last time.

Ross couldn't stop crying. After this fight he would, most likely, never talk to Rachel again. He had lost the one person he had ever fallen for. They would never be together. He had dreamed that once Rachel realized she was with the wrong guy she would remember their night at prom and start feeling the same way he felt about her. But, there was no chance of that happening now.

…..

Monica closed the door behind Rachel. Little did Rachel know Monica had seen through her attempt at looking calm. _What is going on?_ Monica thought to herself. _In all my years of being friends with Rachel I have never seen her look this upset and angry at the same time._ _Ross has to know what's wrong with Rachel; he was the one talking to her in the kitchen. _

Monica walked towards the kitchen and opened the door. She was surprized to see Ross leaning against the counter with tears streaming down his face. She had seen Ross cry before but why was he crying now? He looked at her with a depressed expression on his face. She quickly walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. She didn't know why he was so distraught but she knew he needed some comfort.

Ross and Monica were only a year apart. Being so close in age meant they were constantly fighting and bickering and calling each other names. In that moment Monica forgot about all their sibling disagreements and just hugged him. Even though they didn't get along Monica knew she needed to be there for him. After a while she pulled out of the hug, they needed to talk.

"What happened?" Monica asked. Ross debated over what he was going to say. He came to the conclusion that it was time to tell her about the whole Chip incident. He hadn't told anyone what really happened, but he needed to get it off his chest. He looked from Monica's eyes to the floor as he began to speak.

"Chip was the one that beat me up after prom, he was angry I took Rachel. He threatened me to stay away from her. At the hospital I tried to tell Rachel about it but she wouldn't believe me. Then Chip heard about her visiting me. Last night he met me in the driveway to tell me, again, to leave her alone. Tonight I tried to warn Rachel that he wasn't a good guy. I told her about him threatening me again, and I told her about him cheating on her the night of prom. We got into a fight because she thinks I'm making these things up so she'll leave Chip for me... I'm just trying to protect her, Chip is dangerous," Ross explained, tears still in his eyes. Talking about these sensitive topics with his sister was not easy.

Monica stood there, speechless. _Chip? It was Chip that hurt my brother? He has always seemed so nice._

"Ross… I'm sorry," was all she could say. Monica knew how much Ross liked Rachel. "This must be killing you, seeing such an awful guy with her."

"You believe me?" Ross said cheering up slightly.

"Of course I believe you! Chip cheated on Rachel, it doesn't surprize me that he would also be violent," Monica answered. She decided that she had to tell Rachel that Ross was telling the truth.

…..

The next morning Rachel woke up feeling horrible. She never thought her and Ross would get into such a horrible fight. Why did he have to be so stubborn? He was sticking to his story unbelievably well. Did he really want her so bad that he had to make up more lies about Chip?

Suddenly, her thoughts from last night returned to her. _What if he was telling the truth all along?_ It was just too hard for her to believe that Chip would ever do something like that. _But, what if I'm the one being stubborn?_ She had never thought of it that way. _What if I'm only defending Chip because he's my boyfriend, not because I know he's right?_

Just then her thoughts were interrupted by her younger sister, Jill, yelling.

"Rachel! Monica's on the phone for you!" Jill shouted from the bottom of the stairs. _I didn't even hear the phone ring._ Rachel thought to herself.

"Okay, I'll answer it up here!" Rachel yelled back picking up the phone beside her bed.

"Be quick Rachel! I have to phone Stacy!" Jill yelled back. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Hello?" Rachel said into the phone.

"Rachel, I need to talk to you in person. Where and when can we meet?" Monica said quickly, without even saying hello.

"Okay? You can come over to my place now, if you want," Rachel replied, wondering why Monica urgently had to speak with her.

"I'll see you in a few minutes," Monica answered. Then she hung up.

_That was weird. Why is Monica so on edge? Something must be wrong._ Rachel thought to herself as she changed out of her pyjamas into some clothes.

…..

The doorbell rang and Rachel's other younger sister, Amy, answered it.

"Oh, it's you," Amy said rudely.

"Amy, get out of here!" Rachel said as she pushed past her sister. "Let's go talk in my room," She said to Monica. Monica followed Rachel upstairs. They closed her door and sat on her bed.

"Rach, I came here because I need to talk to you about Chip," Monica said with a serious expression on her face. _Chip? Why is Chip all anyone wants to talk about? _Rachel was getting tired of him being everyone's topic of interest. _What could Monica want to tell me?_

…..

Ross returned to his college dorm - He didn't want to stay at his parents' house any longer. He needed to be by himself. Ross and Monica had had a long discussion about Rachel and Chip, but now he was exhausted. Ross was paranoid that if he stayed longer at his parents' house Chip would drop by for another visit. Ross made Monica promise not to tell anyone about what had happened, especially not Rachel. He didn't want Monica to get into a fight with Rachel too.

Ross unlocked the door to his dorm room. He entered to find that his roommate, Scott, wasn't home yet. Scott said he would be home today. Ross put his suitcase on the floor before he sat on his bed. He put his head in his hands.

When he looked up Ross noticed a light on his answering machine blinking. That was probably a message from Scott. Ross crossed the dorm room and pressed the button on the answering machine.

"_You have two new messages," _said the automated voice. _"Message One."_

"Hi, Ross. I'm still here with my girlfriend. I'm going to stay here a day longer than I had originally told you. Talk to you later," Scott's voice said on the machine.

"_Message Two,"_ the voice said.

"Hello, Ross Geller, my name is Oliver Thompson. I have read your papers that you have done this year in college, and I want to discuss a scholarship with you. If you contact me I will give you more information. Our number is 555-9737. We would be privileged to have an amazing student like you at our university."

Ross stood there, shocked. Someone wanted him to come to their university so badly they were willing to give him a scholarship. Ross quickly picked up the phone and dialled the number the man had left.

"Hello, this is Oliver Thompson, Head of the Scholarship Department," Oliver answered.

"Um, hello, I'm Ross Geller. You contacted me about a scholarship," Ross said nervously.

"Ross! I'm so happy you called. As I said in the message I would like to offer you a full scholarship to our school. We see a lot of potential in you and we would love for you to study palaeontology at our university. We would fly you over here, give you a dormitory and pay for your full education," Oliver explained.

"Wow, thank you. What university are you calling from?" Ross inquired.

"That's the thing I was worried about… our university is in London, England," Oliver explained.

Ross stood there speechless. He had heard about the university in London. It was the best school in the world to study palaeontology. It was prestigious making it very hard to get accepted into. But, they wanted him.

"I'll have to talk to my parents, but, I would be honoured to attend your university," Ross answered. The horrible weekend he had was pushed from his mind, for now. This offer cheered him up a great amount. Ross said goodbye and then hung up. He immediately phoned his parents and simply said he was coming back to talk to them about something important.

As Ross was driving back home his mind crept back to Rachel. How could he leave her? But, then Ross thought to himself: _Rachel doesn't feel the same way I do about her. Why am I so hung up on her? She has made it clear that she doesn't want to be with me. Moving to England will be a good thing. I can finally forget about her. _

Ross really loved Rachel; it was going to be hard to not see her anymore. He would probably never forget his feelings for her. But, maybe he would find someone else, someone who loved him back.

…..

Monica looked at Rachel. She took a deep breath; this wasn't easy to talk about. She decided to just get to the point.

"Rachel, I wanted to let you know that Ross was telling the truth. Chip cheated on you the night of prom. I saw it with my own eyes. I'm sorry," Monica told Rachel as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Rachel was confused. Why would Monica tell the same lie Ross was telling, unless, Ross really was telling the truth. Chip cheated on her? Rachel was crushed. She couldn't think of anything but the fact that Chip lied to her about why he didn't show up.

"I can't believe it! Chip cheated on me and then lied about it!" Rachel said loudly, completely outraged.

"That's not all Ross was telling the tru-" Monica tried to tell Rachel that Ross wasn't lying about the other things too, when Rachel interrupted her.

"Monica, I'm sorry, I have to talk to Chip now. I'll talk to you again another time," Rachel said infuriated about Chip. Monica saw Rachel was too angry to listen to anything more about Chip. So, she left to go home. They could talk another time.

…..

When Monica arrived home she was surprized to see Ross' car in the driveway. She quickly walked inside to see what was going on. Ross was in the living room with their parents. He had just arrived, so he hadn't said anything yet.

"Monica, it's good you came home. Ross has something important to discuss with the family. Take a seat," Judy said anxiously waiting to find out what Ross had to drive home to tell them. Ross stood in front of his family who were all seated on the couch in the living room.

"I came here to tell you that I was offered a scholarship to a university. They really want me to come to their school. They said they read my papers that I wrote for college and they were impressed," Ross said serious but excited.

"That's great, son!" Jack exclaimed. "Where is the university?"

"It's in London… England," Ross replied slowly.

"London?" Judy shouted.

"It's a very difficult school to get into and they offered me a spot. I really want to go… They want me," Ross pleaded.

"You really want to go?" Jack asked.

"Dad, Mom, Monica I've never felt this needed in my life. They offered to pay for me to go there. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm going to get the best education I can get in palaeontology," Ross explained. Silence filled the room. No one said a word as they each debated this news. After a while Jack turned to Judy. Judy nodded slightly, knowing what he was thinking.

"If it's that important… you can go," Jack said seriously.

"Thank you," Ross said sincerely. He bent over to hug his parents.

"Ross can I talk to you alone for a minute," Monica said sternly, as she grabbed Ross' arm to pull him aside.

"Are you sure about this? You're going to leave Rachel? I told her that Chip cheated on her. Now she knows you were telling the truth about it. Maybe, she'll eventually believe you about the whole thing. If you leave you won't get a chance to be with her," Monica reasoned.

"Mon, Rachel is never going to believe me. She made it pretty clear last night that she will never feel the way I feel about her. I'm not going to pass up this great opportunity to see if things will change with her and then have it not work out," Ross explained sadly, he paused for a moment. "I think I should move on, I don't want to hurt anymore. Staying here, seeing her with _him_ hurts me. I need to go," Ross said with tears in his eyes. It was sad admitting that he had nothing to stay for. He would miss Rachel, but he had to go.

…..

A week had passed since Ross had gotten the call from the university. Everything was planned. He would leave next week; he would live on campus, with a roommate. All he had left to do was tell Rachel, he felt like he owed her a goodbye.

Rachel was having no luck contacting Chip to talk about the whole cheating ordeal. He was still on holidays, but Rachel decided that as soon as he got home she would talk to him.

Monica had invited Rachel over telling her they needed to talk. But, actually it was Rachel and Ross that were going to talk.

Rachel walked over and rang the doorbell. Monica answered the door and told her she needed to do something, quickly. Monica was actually leaving Rachel so Ross could talk to her alone. Rachel waited for Monica in the living room. Then Ross walked out of the kitchen. Rachel was surprized to see him, he was supposed to be at school.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked.

"I need to talk to you," Ross stated as he sat down on the couch beside Rachel.

"What is it?" Rachel responded.

"I wanted to tell you that I've been offered a scholarship to a university…" Ross paused "but, the university is in London, England."

Rachel tried very hard to keep a straight face. _He's moving to England? I can't see him anymore?_ These thoughts really upset her. _Does this mean he's over his crush on me? _That, for some reason, was her most painful thought. She held back her tears.

"When do you leave?" Rachel asked her voice was quiet due to the tears tightening her throat.

"Next week," Ross said sadly. "I wanted to let you know that there are no hard feelings between us." They looked at each other. Neither was quite sure what to say.

"I'll miss you," Rachel blurted out. She didn't care how weird it sounded, because it was true.

"I'll miss you too," Ross answered. He put out his arms, hesitantly, for a hug. She leaned into his arms. They sat there for a while, her head against his chest, with their arms around each other. At that moment she didn't care about their fight. She was only thinking of all the good times they had had together as a tear escaped her eye

_Why am I so sad? He is still the same guy that lied to me_. Rachel realized she didn't want Ross to leave, but why? Her thoughts from earlier came back to her, and her question was answered. _I don't know for sure if he is lying, I think that's why I want him to stay._

But, Rachel was too late; he had made up his mind. Ross was moving to England.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews!**

**I just wanted to let you all know that this story will be pretty long. Most likely it will be at least ten chapters. I hope you're all enjoying reading it! **

**Please remember to review! They really encourage me to keep writing!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p>Ross stood in the doorway of his dorm room. It was strange seeing the room so empty. His belongings had been cleared out, now his roommate's things were the only items in it. He had already shipped his possessions to his new dorm, in England. Now all he had was his carry-on bag.<p>

As Ross stood there he remembered the good times he had in this room with his roommate, Scott. He and Scott had become good friends over the past few months; Ross would miss him.

Ross looked at his watch, it was time to go. His parents, and Monica, would soon be arriving to drive him to the airport. Ross gave the room one last glance before he closed the door. Then he walked down the hallway and left the college for the last time.

Ross' family was waiting for him, in the car, when he got outside. Ross climbed into the backseat with Monica. Jack pulled away from the curb and headed in the direction of the airport.

Ross looked around the car at his family, and then it hit him: saying goodbye to Rachel was hard, but saying goodbye to his family would be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do. Ross had never realized that moving to England would mean he would have to make so many sacrifices. But, he couldn't turn back now. This was what he wanted.

…..

Ross held his ticket in his hand. All there was left to do was board the plane, but first he had to say goodbye to his family. This would be torturous. He turned to his parents first.

"Mom, Dad, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me move to London. I'll miss you both so much," Ross said before hugging both his parents. His mom started to cry.

"We're so proud of you Ross. We wish you all the best. When will you see us again?" Jack asked solemnly.

"I don't have enough money to come home a lot. But, as soon as I save enough I'll come home for a few days," Ross explained unhappily.

"We love you," Judy choked out, before she pulled him into another hug.

"I love you too," Ross replied against his mother's shoulder. When Judy let go, Ross turned to Monica who was also crying. They hugged each other tightly.

"Last call for flight 135 to London," warned a woman's voice, over the speakers. Ross let go of Monica.

"I love you all so much. But, I have to go now," Ross said, sadly.

"Promise to call us when you land," Monica said to Ross quietly, her throat tight from crying.

"Promise," Ross replied on the verge of tears. He had to leave before he started crying too. He quickly picked up his bag, waved to his family, and walked to board the plane.

…..

On the plane Ross was having second thoughts. In fact, over the past few weeks he had been having these same thoughts. _My whole life is in New York, my family, my friends, Rachel, can I really be happy without them?_

Ross constantly reassured himself that he was making the right decision. Every time he had those thoughts he would tell himself the same thing. _This university is one of the best in the world and they want me. I can talk to my family and friends anytime over the phone. Rachel will never trust me about Chip; she will always assume I'm lying. She doesn't love me, and she never will. I have to move on._

…..

The plane landed in an airport in London. Soon Ross was in a taxi on his way to his new university. He instructed the taxi driver to stop at the post office where he would pick up his belongings, first. Then he would find his dorm.

After loading all his boxes into the cab at the post office, Ross was driven to the campus of the University of London. He was dropped off in front of his dormitory.

Ross pulled out the information the university had given him from his bag, so he could find his room.

As Ross walked the hallways he pushed all his boxes on a cart he had borrowed from the post office. Ross soon realized he had no idea how to get to his room. He needed help. He decided to ask the next person he saw for directions.

A man his age with light brown hair walked towards him.

"Excuse me. I'm new here and I was wondering if you knew where room 293 is," Ross asked the stranger.

"Your room is 293?" the guy asked. Ross nodded. "My room is 293, you're my new roommate!"

"Wow, what a coincidence! Uh, my name is Ross Geller," Ross introduced himself freeing a hand for the guy to shake.

"I'm Chandler Bing. Follow me, I'll show you the way to the room," Chandler offered. He also kindly took a few bags. Ross had a feeling they would be good friends.

Things in London were already going well. Ross had a feeling he might like it here after all.

…..

Rachel finally got a hold of Chip on the phone. She told him she was coming over to talk.

When Rachel arrived they went straight to Chip's bedroom to talk. He closed the door while Rachel paced in the middle of his room. Finally she spoke, when Chip sat down on his beanbag chair.

"You cheated on me!" Rachel decided to get to the point right away. She was already fuming.

"What are you talking about Rach? I would never-" Chip tried to defend himself, but Rachel didn't let him finish.

"Monica saw you Chip! So don't give me that crap! You cheated on me and that's why you never came to pick me up for prom! And then you lied about it!" Rachel yelled at him.

"Okay, Rachel, calm down. I admit it, I did cheat on you. I'm so sorry. It was a stupid mistake. It's been eating me alive because I wasn't honest with you," Chip pleaded, acting sorry. Rachel looked at his face. He looked genuinely upset.

"Why did you lie?" Rachel asked quietly.

"I really was going to tell you. But, I couldn't find the right time, or the right words. I'm really sorry," Chip explained. Rachel decided to forgive him. If she broke up with Chip she wouldn't have a boyfriend, which would be unacceptable for a popular cheerleader like herself. What would her friends think if she broke up with Chip Matthews, the hottest guy in school?

"I'll forgive you. But, you have to promise it won't happen again," Rachel requested.

"I promise," Chip said. "How about I make it up to you by taking you out tonight?"

"Alright, let's go!" Rachel told Chip, excitedly.

…..

It was already dark outside as Chip and Rachel drove through downtown New York. Chip parked the car on the side of the street. They got out and Chip took Rachel's hand leading her to a nightclub. The neon sign across the club read _Chaos_.

"How can we get in there? We're only 18," Rachel asked. They were underage, they wouldn't be allowed inside.

"My friend is the bartender. He told me he'll let us in," Chip explained. Rachel stopped for a second to think. But she came to the conclusion that she wanted to go in. There was music and dancing, it looked fun.

Chip led Rachel into the dark club. The only lights illuminating the room were the coloured, swirling lights shining on the dance floor. The nightclub was packed with people aged early to mid-twenties, all dancing and laughing. There was a DJ booth on the edge of the dance floor and a long bar at the back of the room where people were sitting on bar stools. Alcohol was being served to customers by three bartenders behind the bar and many waitresses walking around the room with trays.

Chip continued to lead Rachel through the many sweaty dancers, until they reached the bar.

"Hey! Sam! How's it going, man?" Chip shouted over the music to one of the bartenders.

"Chip! Hey! Wow, is this your girlfriend?" Sam shouted back.

"Yeah, this is Rachel! Do you mind getting us some bottled water?" Chip asked with a wink. Rachel looked at Chip, confused. Sam went behind the bar and returned with two bottles of water.

"Thanks, man!" Chip yelled to Sam. Chip handed Sam some money.

"Let's go drink these over there," Chip leaned in to tell Rachel, while he pointed to a leather couch in a lounge area. Rachel followed Chip through the crowd and they sat on the couch. The lounge was slightly quieter than the rest of the club because there was a wall separating it from the dance floor.

"Do you want something to drink Rach?" Chip asked once they were sitting.

"Sure, I'd love some water. It's hot in here," Rachel commented as she held out her hand for Chip to pass her one of the bottles.

"Rach, these aren't water. Sam made me a deal that when I come here he gives me vodka disguised as water. That way I get drinks and he doesn't get in trouble for giving me alcohol," Chip explained with a smile. Rachel looked at him disgustedly.

"I don't want any alcohol but, by all means you go ahead and drink. I'll drive home," Rachel told her boyfriend bitterly as she crossed her arms.

"Rach, that's no fun. You have to drink with me," Chip pleaded.

"No thanks, I'm not thirsty anymore. I'll be right back; you enjoy your drink for a bit. I'm going to the washroom, I'll meet you back here in a few minutes," Rachel told Chip. She got up and walked towards the bathrooms.

…..

When Rachel returned Chip had finished half of one of the water bottles. He was sitting in the same spot on the couch looking around the dance floor. He was slightly buzzed.

"So Rach, what do you think of this place?" Chip asked as Rachel returned to her seat on the couch.

"I think it's really cool," Rachel answered. She looked around the room. The lounge was filled with a few people chatting and drinking. Chip looked around as well as he took another sip from the bottle.

"Rachel, I wanted to tell you again that I'm so sorry about what I did to you. Does bringing you here make up for prom?" Chip asked.

"It's a start," Rachel replied, a playful tone to her voice. She leaned against him wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

"How about I make it up to you some more," Chip suggested. He took her face in his hands and kissed her lips. Rachel kissed him back. Soon enough they were making out.

They kissed for a while, until things suddenly changed. Chip ran his hand up Rachel's thigh and then put it under the front of her shirt. Rachel didn't like where this kiss was leading. This was going too fast; they had only been dating for a couple of months. She wasn't ready to go that far with him. Rachel broke the kiss and backed up.

"Chip, I don't want to do this. Not here, not yet," Rachel said to him softly.

"Oh, come on Rach. It'll be fun. I'll do to you what I did to the other girl. I'm making up for what I did at prom," Chip reasoned. He grabbed Rachel's waist to pull her closer as he began kissing her neck. But, Rachel pushed him away.

"Chip! Stop! I don't want to do this. I want you to make it up to me by being a good boyfriend! Not by doing it with me so I'm even with _her_!" Rachel said angrily. Chip ignored her request.

Chip kissed Rachel's lips roughly. This time when Rachel pulled away she stood up from the couch. She didn't want their first time together to be for this reason. She gave him a cold stare before she turned to walk away. But he grabbed her wrist aggressively to stop her. Rachel turned to look at him with her arms crossed.

"You're trying to run away to _him_ aren't you?" Chip yelled at her furiously. Rachel had never heard him yell like that before. Chip stood up.

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked, confused. Chip smashed the bottle on the table.

"You can't run to _him_! You're my girlfriend, not his!" Chip yelled; no one in the club seemed to care. Rachel noticed a strange look in Chip's eyes as he walked closer to her. His expression showed anger. Suddenly Chip raised his hand and slapped Rachel hard across the face.

Rachel held her cheek as tears came to her eyes. She was terrified of what Chip would do next, so she ran frantically to get out of the club. She pushed through the crowd to the door without looking back.

…..

Rachel exited the club and ran into the street. The air was cold against her tear stained cheeks. Only the light from a dim streetlamp and the neon _Chaos_ sign was being cast in the dark night. Rachel froze when she heard running footsteps from behind her echoing through the street. She shook with fear.

"Rachel, wait, I'm sorry!" Chip yelled to her. "I just lost control! I just jumped to conclusions!"

"I gave you another chance…" Rachel said with her back to him, still.

"Yeah you did, and I screwed up. Please don't go," Chip said sadly, "I promise I won't do it again." Chip put a hand on her shoulder. Rachel jerked away, flinching from his touch.

"No, Chip! That's what you said the last time and look what happened when I forgave you! You hit me! I can't trust you anymore!" Rachel yelled. "It's over, Chip."

Rachel turned and walked away. She hailed a taxi but, where would she go? Her parents would want an explanation about the bruise on her face. But, telling her parents where she went and what happened would get her grounded for sure. Rachel could only think of one other place she could go. She told the cab driver the address.

…..

"Hello?"

"Monica…" Rachel said before she started sobbing.

"Rachel, what's wrong?" Monica asked concerned.

"Chip… Chip…" Rachel tried to explain but her sobs were stopping her from finishing her sentence. Luckily, Monica understood. She put her arm around Rachel and led her inside the house.

Monica guided Rachel up the stairs to her bedroom. Rachel told Monica what had happened with Chip. Monica listened and then, when Rachel was done talking, she covered her bruised cheek with makeup.

Monica lent Rachel something new to wear, so she wouldn't smell like the club's overwhelming aroma of alcohol that was clinging to her clothes. All the while Rachel thought to herself how fortunate she was to have a friend like Monica.

…..

As soon as Rachel looked better and was calmed down, Monica walked her home. It was late by the time they approached the Green's house. Rachel turned to Monica, when they stood at her front walkway.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me out. I think I'll be fine from here," Rachel told Monica. She gave her a hug and then turned to walk up to her front door.

"Wait, Rach, before you go, talking about Chip tonight reminded me that there's something I've been meaning to tell you," Monica said seriously.

"What is it?" Rachel asked.

"Chip didn't only lie about cheating on you… He lied to you about Ross too," Monica said slowly.

"You mean-" Rachel began.

"Chip really did beat up Ross," Monica said quietly, finishing Rachel's thought. Rachel couldn't believe her ears.

"I-I'll talk to you tomorrow," Rachel whispered, before she ran up her front steps and into her front door.

"Where have you been?" Rachel's father questioned when Rachel entered the house.

"I was out with Chip," Rachel answered distractedly.

Sandra came and stood beside her husband. She softly touched his arm. Lenard turned to face her and she shook her head telling him, without words, to leave their daughter alone. She saw that Rachel looked troubled. She knew she just wanted to be alone.

Rachel said goodnight to her parents. She avoided telling them any information about what had happened that night. Then she went upstairs to her room.

…..

Rachel was lying in bed. The only thought going through her head was that Ross had been telling the truth all along.

Tonight Chip had proven how uncontrollable he became when he was angry. It all made sense, the same thing must have happened the night of prom: Chip had been angry that Ross had taken her to prom, causing him to take it out on Ross.

_Ross was telling the truth: Chip cheated on me, he beat Ross up, he threatened him. I couldn't open my eyes and see that it was Chip who was lying all this time._

_Why didn't I trust Ross in the first place? He has always been there for me. He was so nice to me at prom. In fact he's always been nice to me. He's a great guy with a big heart._

_Ross was only trying to protect me so that I wouldn't get hurt. He wasn't being selfish; he didn't tell me any of these things to get me to break up with Chip to be with him. _Rachel began to realize how much she cared about Ross.

_Because of me he was injured. Because of me his heart was broken. _

_Now, I'll never see him again all because I was too stubborn to listen to him._

_I'll never get to tell him… I love him. _


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I know I say the same thing every chapter but, again, thank you for the reviews!**

**I hope you like what I've done in this chapter!**

**Remember to leave me a review to tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Seven Years Later…<p>

Ross awoke from his sleep at 6am. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes before he turned to sit on the edge of his bed. He sat there for a while thinking about the day to come. The only important event he had that day was a job interview in an hour. _This interview has to go well; I need a job. It's not often I find a job opening like this. I guess London doesn't have a big need for palaeontologists._

Ross had finished university a year and a half ago. Ever since he graduated he was having no luck finding a job in London. His money was running low; he was starting to worry he wouldn't be able to pay rent or bills.

In his first year at university Ross lived on campus with his roommate, Chandler. Then in their second year they moved into an apartment together, off campus. He and Chandler had stayed roommates all these years, even after they had finished school.

Ever since the day Ross asked Chandler for directions to their dorm room they had become the best of friends.

Chandler wasn't the only good thing that had happened as a result of Ross living in London. He had met a woman named Amelia. Ross and Amelia had dated for three years and they had recently become engaged.

Amelia was an anthropologist; she and Ross had met at the university and instantly gotten along. Amelia grew up in London. She lived with her parents, a few minutes away from Ross and Chandler's apartment.

Ross got out of bed and felt the cold wood floor under his feet. He walked across the room to his closet. After dressing in a suit, Ross walked into the kitchen for breakfast. As he entered the doorway he was hit with the scent of freshly made coffee. Chandler was already awake making himself breakfast.

"Morning, man," Chandler greeted his roommate, looking up from the reading the comics in the paper.

"Morning," Ross replied, as he began to make himself a bowl of cereal. Chandler got up from the kitchen table to pour Ross and himself a cup of coffee.

As Ross put the milk back in the fridge he looked at the calendar hanging on the door by a magnet. Today was April 16th, Monica's birthday. Remembering this information made Ross think of his family he left behind in New York. He was unhappy that he hadn't talked to them in a while.

When Ross first moved to England he would call his parents every night. As the years went on the calls became less frequent. The main reason being Ross didn't have enough money to pay the long distance phone call charges. Ross talked to his family once a month, now. His promises to come and visit were disregarded; he had only found the time and money to visit them once a year.

When Ross first moved to London he felt really homesick. For months he went through withdrawal by shutting himself in his bedroom. Everything had reminded him of his family and every time he thought of them he felt alone.

Luckily friends like Chandler and Amelia eventually made it easier for Ross to be away from his family. Amelia, especially, had made leaving Rachel less painful.

Forgetting Rachel was a very hard thing to do. When Ross moved away he promised himself he would move on from his crush on her. Even with Amelia as his fiancée he frequently had to stop himself from thinking of Rachel. Every time he thought about her he felt his heart sink. The fact that Rachel was still in his head when Amelia loved him and he loved her made him feel terrible.

Why couldn't he just love Amelia and be happy with her? Rachel had broken his heart all those years ago. Why was he still so hung up on her after she didn't trust him? Even though he had Amelia he couldn't stop his feelings for his high school crush.

Ross hadn't seen Rachel or talked to her since the day he said goodbye. He wondered what she was doing now. Did she miss him too?

…..

Rachel was standing in her apartment's kitchen making dinner reservations over the phone. She had thought about cooking dinner, but decided against it since she was not a very good cook. Monica would be home soon and she wanted to surprize her with a birthday dinner.

Life for Rachel had changed drastically after that night with Chip. Rachel began to care about people other than her. The night she broke up with Chip taught her to be a little more careful when it came to dating. Rachel realized that the popular guys in her high school that the old her would have gone for were all like Chip: shallow and rude.

Rachel's friends Mindy, Leslie and Melissa were upset with her choice to break up with Chip and stop dating popular high school boys. But, Rachel didn't care what they thought. She began to spend more time with Monica, instead of her other friends, to escape their constant disapproval of her decisions.

Monica and Rachel had been roommates throughout college. After college they moved into an apartment together in New York City. They were still best of friends.

Monica had recently become Head Chef at a restaurant; while Rachel became a Merchandising Manager at Ralph Lauren. They had each achieved their career goals; now, all that was left was finding lasting relationships. Rachel and Monica both had the same bad luck when it came to men. Monica just couldn't find the right guy, but Rachel was single for a different reason, she was still hung up on Ross.

Rachel spent her years of college without any serious relationships. She didn't find any guy that fit her standards. She couldn't get over the fact that Ross had liked her and now she liked him, but he would never know. She desperately attempted to push this thought from her mind every day.

Even after seven years of not seeing him she still couldn't forget him. For all she knew she could have already found the perfect guy, but turned him down because he wasn't like Ross. She had been on many dates after college, but no man treated her the way Ross did. Ross was always so sweet, sensitive and smart; the guys she dated could never come close to him.

Rachel told herself many times that she had to move on. Ross was not coming back; she missed her chance to be with him years ago. Despite these thoughts Rachel couldn't stop hoping that Ross would come back. She would always keep hoping that maybe after university Ross would move back to New York. But a voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that he wasn't thinking about her, he was enjoying life in England.

…..

Ross returned from his job interview with a good feeling, he felt that the interview had gone well. He entered the apartment just as the phone began to ring. He picked it up.

"Hello?" Ross said into the phone.

"Dr. Geller, it's Neil, from the job interview," Neil greeted. Ross was surprised they had contacted him so fast.

"Hi Neil, is it good news or bad news about the job?" Ross asked anxiously.

"It's good news. There is a job for you as head of the Paleontology Department at the museum. The thing I wanted to ask you if you would be willing to move for the job. We don't have room for you at the museum in London," Neil explained.

"Where would I have to move?" Ross enquired.

"You would have to move to New York. We recommended you to the Museum of Natural History, and they have a job opening for you. What do you say? Do you want me to tell them yes or a no?" Neil asked.

Ross couldn't believe his luck, as he thought things over for a minute. He had no choice but to take the job, he needed the money. It would be a lot of work moving to New York, but it would be worth it. He would get an amazing job and he would be able to see his family again.

"I'll take the job!" Ross promised excitedly.

"Good to hear Ross! They really want you over there in New York. I'll tell them to contact you with the details," Neil explained.

"Thanks Neil. I'll talk to you later," Ross replied. Now, his only problem would be telling Amelia and Chandler. He wondered what they would do.

…..

Chandler returned home from work to find Ross and Amelia already there.

"Chandler I have something to discuss with you and Amelia. Why don't you take a seat," Ross said seriously.

"Ok, what's up?" Chandler asked as he sat down on a chair across from the couple, who were sitting together on the couch.

"I got a job offer today, and I took it," Ross began.

"That's great!" Chandler and Amelia exclaimed at the same time.

"The only problem is that I have to move to New York for it. Before you say anything I want to let you know that this is a big opportunity for me. The Museum of Natural History wants me to be the head of their Paleontology Department. They're going to pay the airline and the shipping expenses," Ross explained, while Amelia and Chandler sat there half listening and half thinking. After a while of contemplating Amelia spoke.

"I'll move there with you Ross. We're going to be married; I don't want to live on different continents. I'll find a new job. This will be good, I've always loved New York," Amelia said encouragingly.

"That's great Amelia, thank you. I know it will be hard to leave your family, but I promise we can visit them," Ross said to her, then kissed on the cheek. Then he turned to Chandler. "What are you thinking Chandler?"

"I think I'll come too. I've heard that New York has more opportunities for my career path anyways. I'll quit my job here and get a new one over there. Plus I don't want to stay here and be left alone," Chandler decided.

"This is great you guys! I'm so happy!" Ross told them and then he enthusiastically hugged them both.

"When do we leave?" Chandler questioned.

"In a week," Ross said hesitantly.

…..

A few days later Monica was home on a day off from work. She was watching TV when her phone rang. She answered it, it was her mom.

"Monica, I have great news!" Judy said enthusiastically.

"What's going on mom?" Monica asked wanting to know what had made her mom so happy. After Ross had moved away her mom was never this happy. It was as if Ross moving away made her too upset to enjoy anything anymore.

"It's about Ross! He got a job as head of the Paleontology Department at the Museum of Natural History, in New York! Monica, your brother is moving back home!" Judy explained giddy with excitement.

"Really? That's incredible!" Monica couldn't believe it; she would be able to see her brother again. "When is he coming?"

"He'll be here in five days! But, your father and I will be leaving on our cruise the day after tomorrow. So, will you pick him up from the airport and help him move his things into his apartment?" Judy asked.

"Of course, Mom! Don't worry about anything!" Monica told her. "Just tell me the flight information."

Monica couldn't wait for Rachel to get home to tell her the good news. Monica knew that Rachel liked Ross. The day after Monica told Rachel that Ross was never lying she told her she loved Ross.

Even after all these years Rachel still discussed Ross with Monica. _Rachel will be so happy that Ross is coming back. Maybe Ross still likes Rachel too, and they can get together!_ Monica thought to herself.

…..

Rachel returned home from work. When she walked in the door Monica got up from the couch and walked over to her. Monica had the biggest smile on her face.

"What's that smile for Mon? You're freaking me out," Rachel said nervously.

"Well, my mom told me today that Ross phoned her with news. He got a job in New York at the Museum of Natural History. He's moving to New York, Rach!" Monica explained unable to control her excitement.

Rachel didn't say a word she just covered her mouth and sat in a chair at their table_. Ross is moving back to New York? This is amazing! But, I know I have to do something about my feelings. I have to tell him I love him._

"Rach, are you going to tell him?" Monica asked, as if reading Rachel's mind.

"I have to Mon. I have to know if he still has feelings for me," Rachel explained.

"Does this mean that if he feels the same way as you do, you'll date him?" Monica asked excitedly. She had always been rooting for her brother and best friend to get together.

"Yeah, I guess so. Wow, what should I say?" Rachel wondered aloud, suddenly becoming nervous.

"Well… I don't know… At least you have five days to think about that," Monica told her.

…..

Five days later, Monica and Rachel were at the airport. They had gotten to there early; Ross' flight wasn't going to land for another twenty minutes. They were sitting in the waiting area. Since they still had a lot of time Monica figured it was the perfect moment to discuss with Rachel what she was going to say to Ross.

"So, Rach, have you decided what you're going to tell Ross?" Monica asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to say that I found out he had been telling the truth all those years ago. Then I'll tell him that I haven't stopped thinking of him the whole time he's been away. Then I'll tell him I love him," Rachel went over what she would say. She left out the fact that she wanted to kiss him after she told Ross she loved him.

Rachel was exhausted. She had been up all night planning what she was going to say. It had to be perfect.

"Sounds great. I'll say hi to him and then I'll leave you two so you can talk in private," Monica said, deciding she didn't want to make things uncomfortable.

Monica and Rachel sat quietly in the same spot for a while. Rachel was thinking over specifically what she would say. Monica looked at her watch.

"It's already six o'clock; he'll be arriving at any minute. Let's go stand at the gate," Monica said. Rachel tried to look confident, but inside she was very nervous to see Ross.

…..

Ross, Chandler and Amelia's plane had just arrived at the airport. They grabbed their carry-on bags and exited the plane.

The last week had been hectic. The three of them had only seven days to pack up their belongings and ship them to New York. They also had to complete the nearly impossible task of finding an apartment in New York on short notice; but, it all worked out. The three of them planned on living in an apartment together, for the time being.

Ross was nervous to see his family, and Rachel. But, he was most nervous to tell them that he was engaged. What would they think of Amelia? Would Rachel even talk to him? It was possible that she would still be angry.

…..

Rachel and Monica stood in a crowd of people at the gate where Ross' plane had just landed.

"I see him!" Monica excitedly told Rachel. She began waving in Ross' direction. "Ross!"

Rachel was overcome with emotion when she saw Ross. She had tears in her eyes; she had missed him so much. Seeing his face was like seeing the sun come out after a storm. Ross walked over to Rachel and Monica.

Rachel soon noticed that Ross was not alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the next chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Ross walked over to Rachel and Monica, with Amelia and Chandler not far behind. Rachel was devastated. It was obvious that Ross had moved on and found someone else. Rachel didn't have much time to compose her disappointed expression before Ross had reached where they were standing.<p>

"Mon, I've missed you so much!" Ross exclaimed. He dropped his carry-on bag to give her a big hug. Ross realized, in that moment, how much he had missed her. It had been at least a year since he had seen her last.

Ross broke the hug, after a while, and reached into his bag. He pulled out a small box with a big bow on top.

"Happy belated birthday, Mon!" Ross exclaimed. Monica opened the box to find a beautiful silver bracelet.

"Ross this must have cost you a fortune!" Monica said as she looked at the sparkling silver.

"I wanted to apologise for missing your last few birthdays and not seeing you for quite a while," Ross explained.

"Well, thank you very much. I love it," Monica replied truthfully, before giving her brother another hug.

Rachel stood there watching the sweet moment between the siblings. Ross' kindness towards Monica made her heart hurt, as she would never get that treatment from him. Rachel had wanted to be with him for so long, it was hard to consider he was with someone else.

Ross turned to Rachel. Rachel felt tears pooling in her eyes and quickly wiped them away.

"Rachel, I can't believe you came," Ross said kindly. He hesitated before pulling Rachel into a hug. Rachel tried to stop her tears. She was crying of happiness and sadness at the same time. In this moment she was glad to see him again but, she also wondered if he had found someone else. Ross pulled out of the hug.

"You look beautiful," Ross, realizing what he had just said, tried to cover it up. "I mean, I haven't seen you for so long, you look so grown up. You do too Mon," Ross quickly redeemed himself. He didn't want Amelia to think he had something going on with Rachel.

"You look different too," Rachel said quietly. She finally took in his appearance. He did look different than when he left for London. The lanky, awkward boy she once knew was no longer there with his curly hair and moustache. Ross was now a sophisticated man with short, gelled hair and impressive appearance. She liked the new Ross.

Monica cleared her throat, things were getting strange and tense between Ross and Rachel.

"Let me introduce all of you," Ross said, swiftly changing the subject. "This is my sister, Monica," Ross said pointing to Monica. "And this is Rachel my… friend from high school," Ross said gesturing to Rachel. Rachel and Monica shook the hands of the other two.

Ross turned to Monica and Rachel. "Mon, Rach, this is Chandler. He has been by roommate all the years I've been in London," Ross explained. "And this is Amelia. She's my fiancée," Ross said.

Rachel drew a rapid breath as her heart pounded. _Ross is engaged? How could he be engaged?_ Rachel had only expected this woman to be his girlfriend. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes once more, but she couldn't express her true feelings in front of the others, she had to be strong.

Rachel had always had a feeling he was over her, why else would he move to another country? Now they would never have a chance to be together.

"Wow, that's great!" Monica exclaimed, trying to be supportive of her brother. She glanced over at Rachel. Monica could only imagine the pain this news had caused her friend. Monica decided to change the subject, for Rachel's sake. "Why don't we all go to this coffee shop near our apartment and get to know you two?" Monica suggested.

"Sure, that sounds great," Ross agreed distractedly. After he told Monica and Rachel he was engaged he had been watching Rachel's face. Her expression was not at all what he expected. She looked saddened by the engagement news. Now Rachel was staring at the floor and there were tears in her eyes.

Amelia linked arms with Ross as they walked out of the airport. Rachel felt Monica's comforting hand on her back as they walked alongside the couple and Chandler.

…..

The five of them went to a coffee shop that was near Monica and Rachel's apartment. It was called Central Perk. Monica and Amelia sat on either side of Ross on an orange couch. Rachel sat in a green armchair and Chandler was at a table, beside the couch. They had all ordered coffees, now they were talking.

"What do you two do for a living?" Monica asked Amelia and Chandler.

"I'm an anthropologist," answered Amelia.

"I'm in advertising," replied Chandler. An awkward silence filled the air. Rachel wasn't talking and neither was Ross. They were both thinking of each other.

Rachel couldn't get over the fact that Ross was getting married and he would never know how she felt. Meanwhile, Ross was trying to figure out why Rachel had been so upset after he introduced Amelia as his fiancée.

"So… why didn't you tell anyone you were engaged, Ross?" Monica asked trying to get Ross to talk. Rachel wished that the conversation could be about anything other than Ross and Amelia.

"I was going to tell you soon, Mon. I just didn't get the chance. In my defence, I did tell mom and dad I was dating. They never told you?" Ross responded.

"No, they didn't tell me. How long have you been dating?" Monica asked.

"Three years," Amelia answered this time as she leaned against Ross' shoulder affectionately. She had a big smile on her face as Ross put his arm around her shoulders. Rachel found it painful to see the couple so in love. Maybe she wouldn't tell Ross her feelings. He seemed thrilled to be with Amelia.

"We plan on getting married in a few months. We have been talking about the wedding for about a year over in London, so it's about time," Amelia continued.

_A few months?_ Rachel was shocked. How could he marry her that soon? Rachel wouldn't have time to talk to him. That is, if she wanted to talk to him. _How could he be over me? Wasn't it him who had the crush on me since the ninth grade? How could he just forget his feelings after liking me for so long? _Rachel thought to herself.

After a while of getting to know each other the group finished their coffees. Now they had to get to work on helping Ross, Amelia and Chandler move into their apartment. Just as they were about to stand to leave Amelia's cell phone rang. After talking for a bit Amelia covered the speaker on her cell phone to talk to Ross.

"It's Katherine. She wants to take me out to dinner tonight to catch up. But, I can reschedule…" Amelia said to Ross.

"No, it's okay, go out with her tonight. You haven't seen her in a while. We have enough help," Ross replied gesturing to Monica and Rachel.

"Thank you sweetie!" Amelia said to Ross, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then she talked into the cell phone confirming her dinner plans.

When she hung up everyone stood and walked to the door. Amelia flagged down a cab when they got outside.

"Bye, everyone, and it was nice meeting you two," Amelia said to Monica and Rachel before turning to Ross. "I'll see you, later," she said lovingly before she gave him a kiss on the lips for a few seconds. Rachel felt jealous; she wanted to be the one with Ross.

Amelia got into the cab as the four walked to pick up all of Chandler's, Amelia's and Ross' belongings from the post office. When they arrived they arranged for a moving van to bring all their belongings to the apartment in an hour.

They walked over to the new apartment which was, coincidentally, right across the street from Rachel's and Monica's apartment. Ross and Chandler went to the superintendent's office to get their keys and then they all headed upstairs.

…..

After a tense and quiet hour of standing in the empty apartment the moving van arrived. The movers brought all the furniture up the stairs while Monica directed them where to put things. Ross and Chandler were lucky they had Monica to speed up the moving process. Monica loved these types of organizing tasks, she was having fun. Rachel on the other hand wasn't enjoying herself.

Rachel was dreading spending the whole evening with Ross. It would not be enjoyable. She wanted so badly to tell him how she felt but, she knew better than to mess with his head. If he wanted to marry Amelia Rachel would have to accept that. He had moved on.

Rachel would have had no problem forgetting about him if she didn't still have feelings for him. But, it wasn't that simple. Rachel couldn't stop loving him. She knew she had to find a way to move on, but how?

The movers brought up the last of the boxes and Ross paid them. Now all they had to do was put everything away.

…..

The four of them were unpacking boxes and chatting, well at least Monica and Chandler were chatting while Rachel and Ross were silent. Monica was making an effort to get along with Chandler. He seemed like a nice guy.

"So Chandler, where did you grow up?" Monica asked, while she unpacked a box of cutlery.

"I actually grew up in New York. My parents sent me to boarding school in London, and then I stayed there for university," Chandler explained while he put the cutlery away that Monica was unpacking.

"Wow, that must have been rough, being away from your parents at boarding school," Monica said subconsciously rubbing his shoulder. She quickly realized what she was doing and stepped away. Monica realized that she may be attracted to Chandler. They had been talking all night which made her see how sweet and charming he was.

Monica and Chandler talking to each other left Ross and Rachel alone. They hadn't said a word to each other. Neither of them knew where to start a conversation. Rachel didn't want to accidentally say something about liking Ross, so she thought it would be better to stay quiet.

Ross had a hunch that something was bothering Rachel. He wanted to know what it was. Could it be him that was bothering her? It felt like every time they were near each other she was uninterested in talking. Maybe she was still mad at him about their arguments years ago.

"So Rachel… where do you work," Ross asked trying to make small talk.

"I work for Ralph Lauren," Rachel answered emotionlessly. She figured if she blocked Ross out he would leave her alone. She was trying to keep him at a distance that way moving on would be easier.

Rachel debated whether or not it would be a good idea to try and keep Ross out of her life. But, the thought of losing him, again, made Rachel upset. She decided she wanted to find a way to keep him as a friend, which would be hard. The way to be friends was to try to be happy that he had found someone he loved, even if it meant he was over her.

"You ended up getting into a fashion career! Good for you!" Ross said as he remembered back to when she was younger and being in fashion was her dream profession. "So, you have your career all figured out, any relationships?"

Rachel was dreading talking about relationships. She wanted so badly to tell him the truth, but she knew she couldn't.

"No relationships," Rachel replied. "Can we not talk about this?" Rachel said with an annoyed tone to her voice. She didn't want to accidentally admit that it felt like the world had ended when she saw him with someone else, or any other painful thoughts that were crossing her mind seeing him with Amelia.

Ross backed off. He got the hint loud and clear, obviously Rachel was still upset with him. What else could make her so irritated by him?

"Rach, is something wrong? Did I say something to offend you?" Ross questioned with a bitter tone.

"Ross, it's… it's just I…" Rachel stuttered, fighting against her will to hold her tongue. Ross waited patiently, watching her with his deep, chocolate eyes. He noticed she still had the adorable habit of playing with her hair when she was nervous.

"You know what, it's nothing. I guess I'm just upset that I'm not in a relationship," Rachel answered with a sad voice.

Eventually, after a few hours, everything was put away.

Monica and Rachel were about to leave when Amelia showed up. Ross greeted her with a kiss. Rachel had to leave; she knew she didn't want to watch them together any longer.

"Let's go Mon," Rachel said under her breath. Monica realized that it must be hard for Rachel to see Ross with someone else. She agreed to go.

…..

The two women returned to their apartment. As soon as the door opened Rachel walked straight for her room.

"Rach, can we talk?" Monica asked. She wanted to know what Rachel was thinking.

"Mon, I'm really tired. Can we talk tomorrow," Rachel answered as she continued to walk to her bedroom. Monica didn't argue with Rachel she knew she had had a hard day. Monica dropped the subject and went into her own bedroom.

…..

Rachel lay wide awake in bed. She couldn't sleep because she couldn't get the image of Ross and Amelia out of her head. She finally decided to get herself a glass of water.

Rachel pushed off all of her blankets and wrapped her robe around her. She walked on the cool floor into the living room, when a light out the window caught her eye.

Rachel walked up the step to the big loft window and looked across the street. The light in Ross, Chandler and Amelia's living room was on. Rachel looked closer and noticed Ross sitting on the couch.

Ross was in a white t-shirt and plaid, flannel pyjama pants. It looked as if he was about to go to bed. Rachel noticed a pained look on his face as he sat there, starring off into space.

Ross was thinking over the day's events. He was happy to see Monica and Rachel again, but he couldn't get Rachel off his mind. She had been so hostile towards him, and now he was having a hard time trying to figure out why. Did she hate him for leaving? Was she holding a grudge about the whole Chip thing? Ross put his head in his hands.

Suddenly Amelia appeared out of nowhere and sat down beside him.

"Ross, are you alright?" Amelia asked, wondering why her fiancé was so upset.

"I'm just not tired," Ross replied, still keeping his head down. Amelia put her hand under his chin and gently turned his face towards her. She looked into his eyes. Amelia knew there was something bothering him that he wasn't telling her.

"Don't be much longer, you need sleep. After all it's your first day of work tomorrow," Amelia reminded Ross before she gave him a passionate kiss on the lips. Ross hugged her close as they sunk into the kiss a bit more. When Amelia ended it she looked into his eyes, her forehead still against his. She got up and walked to the bedroom. Ross sat there a while longer.

Meanwhile Rachel stood in the window watching them. She wanted to look away but, she couldn't move, it was as if her feet were frozen in place. The kiss she just watched was different than the other's she'd seen today. This kiss was not a goodbye peck or greeting kiss, this kiss was purely derived from love.

Rachel let her tears run down her face as she shook with sobs._ I love him so much but his heart's been taken by another woman._

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: First, I just wanted to say thanks to a couple of reviewers…**

**rockdragon293 and LolaLuv – Thank you so much for reviewing so many of my chapters I hope you review this one!**

**RainbowGummyBears – I updated as fast as I could for you! Thank you for your continued reviews. It really makes me happy that you enjoy this so much.**

**Second, I wanted to let you all know that there will be only three more chapters, after this one.**

**Third, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! **

**Don't forget to review and let me know what you think. Let's keep the Ross and Rachel fan spirit alive!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Ross woke up and went to make himself breakfast before his first day at his new job. He let Amelia sleep in. When he walked into the kitchen Chandler was already there. Ross made himself some cereal and then sat at the table with his roommate.<p>

"Ross can I talk to you for a minute," Chandler asked nervously.

"Sure, man, what's up?" Ross answered wondering why Chandler had a worried expression on his face.

"I wanted to ask you if it would be okay for me to ask Monica out. I think she's really great, and talking to her last night was so much fun," Chandler explained.

Chandler hadn't been able to get Monica out of his head. He really liked her. But, he didn't know if Ross would be alright with this. Ross was really protective of his little sister.

Ross took a moment to absorb what Chandler had told him. His best friend and his sister, dating? That would be weird. But, then he realized that it would be better for Monica to date Chandler rather than any other guy. At least he knew Chandler well.

"Chandler I'd be fine with you dating my sister. Just promise me you will treat her with respect," Ross said to his best friend.

"Don't worry Ross, I really like her, I'll treat her well," Chandler said seriously. Ross gave his friend a pat on the back, before he grabbed his suitcase and headed to his first day of work.

…..

Chandler sat in Central Perk on the orange couch. He had ordered a coffee for himself and now he nervously waited for Monica to join him. After Ross had left he had called her and asked her to meet him here.

Chandler planned on following through with asking Monica out. He wasn't very good at this type of thing, which made him anxious. Chandler hadn't dated many women when he was in England. But he didn't care, as long as Monica agreed to go out on a date with him.

Right on time, Monica walked through Central Perk's double doors. She spotted Chandler and walked over to join him on the couch. She wondered what he wanted to talk about.

They greeted each other as Monica sat down. Soon a man with short, very light blond hair served Chandler his coffee. Monica ordered herself coffee.

"Wow, check out the hair on that guy!" Chandler whispered to Monica. "Don't look directly at him, you need sunglasses!" Chandler nervously joked. Monica giggled; Chandler was always telling jokes when he was uncomfortable. Chandler decided to get to the point of their visit.

"Monica, I was wondering if, maybe, you wanted to get some dinner with me sometime," Chandler asked tentatively. Monica was happy; ever since they had met at the airport she hoped Chandler would ask her out. She enjoyed her time talking to him last night; she figured spending more time with him would be fun.

"I'd love to have dinner with you. Is tonight alright?" Monica asked eagerly.

"Tonight sounds perfect," Chandler answered, relieved she had said yes. Chandler and Monica spent the rest of the day at Central Perk, Monica had the day off and Chandler didn't have a job yet. They both were having a great time. Were they meant to be together?

…..

Ross returned home from work in the evening. He was excited because his first day at his new job had gone exceptionally well. Everyone was nice to him, he was head of a department and, to top it all off, he had been given his own office. He loved the museum it was full of amazing displays and exhibits. Ross was finally doing something he loved and he couldn't wait to share his experience with Chandler.

Ross entered his apartment and looked around. Chandler was nowhere to be found.

"Where could he be?" Ross asked aloud to himself. _Maybe he's at a job interview_. _No, he can't be its 7:00pm; no one would have an interview that late._

Ross decided to phone Amelia. He hadn't talked to her since last night. He made his way to the phone and dialled her number.

"Hello?" Amelia's voice answered.

"Hi, Amelia, it's Ross. Where are you?"Ross asked.

"I'm at Katherine's place. She invited me to have a movie night this evening with her, Sarah and Margret. I'm sorry I forgot to call you. I was going to tell you this morning but you went to work," Amelia explained.

"That's fine sweetie. By the way do you know where Chandler is?" Ross wondered if he had said anything to Amelia about where he would be tonight.

"No, I don't know where he is," Amelia told Ross.

"That's fine. Have fun, I'll see you later," Ross said.

"Alright, love you. Bye," Amelia said then she hung up.

Ross decided that since he was alone he would go visit Monica. Maybe she or Rachel would know where Chandler was tonight.

…..

Rachel was alone for the evening. Monica had left a while ago to go on her date with Chandler.

Rachel was sitting in her pyjamas watching TV when there was a knock at the door. She turned off the TV and stood up to go answer it.

When Rachel opened the door she was surprized to see Ross standing there. He looked flustered. Was something wrong?

"Hi Rach, do you or Monica know where Chandler is?" Ross asked concerned about his friend.

"Chandler didn't tell you? He's on a date with Monica tonight," Rachel told him in a concerned tone.

"No, he didn't tell me…" Ross said trailing off, thinking of why Chandler hadn't called to tell him his plans. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Rachel spoke again.

"Why did you come over here alone? Isn't Amelia with you?" Rachel asked coldly.

"Actually Amelia's not home tonight, she has plans," Ross explained. Rachel supposed that this was the perfect time to speak to him alone.

"Why don't you come in for a while?" Rachel asked trying her best to sound confident, because on the inside she was very nervous.

"Sure," was all Ross said. He followed her inside and took a seat next to her on the couch. He looked around the apartment; he had never been inside it. It had purple walls and a big, angled, loft window. It was a great apartment.

Rachel suddenly became aware that she was in her pyjamas, which were shorts and a tank top. She embarrassedly wrapped her robe around herself. For a while they both sat in silence. Rachel wasn't quite sure what to say. Luckily Ross broke the silence.

"I've been meaning to ask if you want to come to my wedding. It's on the 12th," Ross said. Rachel considered his offer. Could she endure being there watching him get married to another woman? She needed time to think about it.

"I'll have to get back to you with my answer," Rachel replied.

"It would be really great if you could come. Monica will be there, as well as Chandler, it'll be fun to have you there as well," Ross tried to convince her.

"I don't know what I'm doing that day but, thanks for the invitation," Rachel responded as nicely as she could. There was another awkward silence. Why was it so hard to talk to him?

"You can bring a date to the wedding if you'd like. I know we talked about it before, when you were helping us move in, but, are you dating anyone? You never answered me," Ross said. Rachel decided to be truthful with her answer.

"To be honest, I haven't done much dating since high school," Rachel responded sincerely.

"Really? I thought a girl as beautiful as you would be dating someone all the time," Ross said. Rachel looked at the floor so he wouldn't notice her blush. Why did he have to be so sweet?

"Did you do any dating before you met Amelia?" Rachel wanted to change the subject. She didn't want to talk about her non-existent romantic life with him anymore.

"Honestly, it took me a long time to finally start dating after I moved away. Then I found Amelia, and things with her just… worked," Ross explained.

Rachel didn't know how long she could keep listening to Ross talk about Amelia. Why did she think having her as their conversation topic would be a good idea? Knowing he was happy with someone else still hurt her. After another silence Rachel chose to work her way into a conversation about her feelings. She had recently decided she needed to let him know how she felt.

"Ross, I wanted to get something off my chest," she said seriously, as she looked him in the eyes. "I wanted to let you know that I was wrong about Chip. I should have believed you, all those years ago. I know now that you were telling the truth all along, and I'm sorry. I was being stubborn and self-centred." Rachel paused to observe Ross' reaction.

Ross' face was blank, he was staring straight ahead. He was shocked. _Did she just admit she was wrong about Chip?_ He had been waiting for her to realize that for so long. He was speechless. Rachel took his silence as a sign to continue.

"I wish I had believed you, I regret it now. I ended up hurting you as well as myself. I don't know why I took Chip's side… I guess it was because he was always so nice to me. I just couldn't open my mind enough to consider what you were telling me. I have known you all my life, I should have trusted your judgement, not taken the side of a guy I had known for only a few years," Rachel explained her thoughts, while Ross was still in shock.

"I wish you believed me back then, Rach. I really was only looking out for you; I just wanted to keep you from getting hurt by Chip. I really liked you back then but, I never wanted to act on my feelings. I knew I didn't have a chance of being with you. I just wanted to be there for you. I hoped that when you realized you were with the wrong guy you would remember the night at prom and start feeling the same way I felt about you," Ross explained.

"Ross, why didn't you ever tell me about your feelings?" Rachel asked softly, wanting to know the answer to the question that was always in her head.

"I was scared that you would reject me because, let's face it, you were popular and beautiful and I was a loser," Ross replied sadly. They both paused for what seemed like hours; both were processing what they had told each other.

"If you liked me so much why did you move to London?" Rachel asked, as tears threatened to fall.

"Rach, I had to leave. What was I supposed to do? You wouldn't believe me about Chip. I couldn't risk giving up the opportunity of going to the University of London. If I stayed here and you didn't ever believe me I would have been miserable knowing that I gave up an amazing school so I could watch you and Chip stay together," Ross explained.

Rachel couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She realized that if Ross had stayed they would have been together. Chip would have made her realize he was violent and then she could have run straight to Ross. He would have been there for her. He would have forgiven her for thinking he was lying. Then they would be together now.

"Rachel, why are you crying?" Ross asked in a soothing voice.

"I was just thinking of how we would have been together if I had believed you," Rachel responded tears still falling from her eyes.

"Rach, what was it that made you believe me?" Ross questioned.

"Chip took me to this nightclub the night you left. He stated that he took me there to make up for cheating on me on the night of prom. We eventually kissed for a bit, but suddenly he started taking it too far. He told me he wanted me to feel even with the other girl, but I didn't want to do anything with him. He wouldn't listen so I got up and tried to leave. But, he stopped me and accused me of running away to you. Then he… slapped me," Rachel explained between sobs.

"Rachel I'm so sorry," Ross said, surprized to hear what had happened. He never thought that Chip would hurt her. Ross rubbed Rachel's arm to try and comfort her.

"Don't be sorry, because that incident made me realize you were telling the truth. Monica told me everything. Then when I was in bed, that night, I figured everything out. I thought about the stories you had told me and came to a conclusion: Chip had been violent towards me, and you had said he had been the one that beat you up. I put two and two together, he was violent in both cases; therefor, you must have been telling the truth." Rachel explained, and then she took a deep breath before she continued.

"That night I also discovered that I loved you," Rachel took another deep breath to keep her voice from shaking with nervousness. "And I haven't stopped loving you."

Ross didn't know what to do. All his life he had prepared himself for this moment, but he didn't know what to say. He could have never imagined that when Rachel Green confessed her love for him he would be with another woman.

"Rach, I wish I could say 'I love you too' but there isn't a point. We can't be together. I moved on when I couldn't be with you, and now I'm with Amelia. If only you knew these things back then, we could have been together. I'm really sorry we can't," Ross said sadly. Rachel started to cry again. She wanted to be with him so badly but he was taken.

Ross couldn't stand seeing her so upset. He pulled her into his arms. They hugged for a while. Rachel cried against his chest.

"It was so hard to be apart from you. Now it's ever harder to see you in love with someone else," Rachel choked out between sobs.

"Rach, I wish things could be different. I wish I hadn't left. I wish you could have realized what a mistake it was for you to be with Chip. You never deserved to be with a guy like that. You deserve to be with a guy that respects you and realizes how sweet and funny and smart and incredible you are," Ross told her.

After hearing his kind words Rachel leaned back to look at his face. They still held onto each other as Rachel looked into Ross' eyes.

Rachel slowly leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. They broke apart and paused.

Ross gently put his hands on either side of Rachel's face and kissed her back. This time the kiss was more intense and passionate. All the emotions they were feeling were in that kiss. They had both waited for this moment for so long.

Their lips moved in sync as they kissed gently. Ross slid his hands from Rachel's face down her sides. Rachel's skin covered in goose bumps at his touch. She had never had a kiss like this, it felt so right.

His hands traced their way to rest on her waist while Rachel wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. They parted for air and just looked into each other's face. Suddenly the mood changed.

They kissed with hunger, their hands roaming freely. Never breaking the kiss, Ross gently pushed Rachel back so she lay on the couch. He hovered above her, propped up on his elbows. They continued to kiss with want, their breathing becoming uneven.

Rachel ran her hands up and down Ross' back as Ross ran his fingers through her hair. Rachel hastily began unbuttoning Ross' dress shirt. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. He kissed and nibbled her sensitive skin as she undid the buttons.

When his shirt was open Rachel ran her fingers along his chest. Ross moaned into her mouth as her hands ran down his body to his lower stomach to play with his pants button. Ross kissed her on the lips once more before they parted so he could untie her robe and throw it away. Rachel took this chance to discard his shirt as well.

Rachel continued to trace the expanse of his bare chest with her hand as Ross slid his hands under her tank top. He ran his hands along her smooth stomach towards the waistband of her shorts. Rachel gasped with pleasure as he moved his hands to caress her butt.

Suddenly Ross' brain started functioning and he realized what he was doing. Ross abruptly stopped and pulled his hands off of her. He pulled his face a few inches from Rachel's as Rachel sighed with disappointment.

"I can't do this to Amelia," Ross whispered sadly and breathlessly. He still hovered over Rachel looking into her beautiful blue eyes.

Ross sat up and bent over to grab his shirt. Rachel took a deep breath and sat up with him. "I wish you had believed me all those years ago, because it's too late now. I'm with someone else, I've moved on," Ross said, partially trying to convince himself.

"Ross…" Rachel tried to stop him as Ross got up and walked to the door. He didn't look back; he didn't want to see Rachel's hurt expression.

"I have to go," Ross said sadly, facing the door. Rachel watched him as he left. She sat on the couch frozen in place. Rachel couldn't believe what had happened. _How could Ross kiss me, know I love him and yet still want to leave. _She touched her fingers to her lips. She had finally gotten to kiss him and now she wouldn't be able to kiss him again.

The reality of the situation hit her: Ross was marrying Amelia. She had missed her chance.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and to those who have favourited this story!**

**Please remember to review this chapter to tell me if you like it, it only takes a few seconds. I like reviews ;)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

><p><em>The saddest thing in the world, is loving someone who used to love you<em>

_-__ Anonymous__  
><em>

Rachel sat frozen on the couch staring at the closed door. She put her head in her hands as she let her tears fall down her face. She couldn't believe how much Ross had broken her heart by walking out that door.

A few hours later Monica and Chandler returned from their date. They walked into the apartment holding hands. As Monica looked across the apartment she noticed Rachel curled up in a ball on the couch. Her entire body shook with sobs.

"Chandler I'll give you a call tomorrow," Monica stated distractedly. Chandler got the hint; he understood Monica needed to talk to Rachel alone. So, he gave Monica a quick peck on the lips before he turned and left. As soon as he was out the door Monica walked to sit on the couch beside Rachel.

Monica put an arm around Rachel's shoulders. At Monica's touch Rachel let go of her knees and hugged her best friend tightly.

They sat like that for a while. They didn't say a thing; the only noise came from Rachel as she continued to weep against Monica's shoulder.

"Rach, what happened?" Monica asked softly after Rachel had calmed down a bit. Rachel pulled out of the hug. She knew she needed to vent her problem to Monica. She and Monica told each other everything, after all.

"Ross came over looking for Chandler, but obviously he wasn't here, so I invited him in," Rachel began.

"What did Ross do to you?" Monica asked concerned.

"Mon, it wasn't what he did it's what I did. I made the mistake of telling him my feelings for him," Rachel explained.

"What did you tell him?" Monica asked, stunned. Her eyes grew wide; she never thought Rachel would have the courage to tell Ross her feelings while he was with someone else.

"I told him he was right about Chip. I explained what Chip did to me at that club. Then I told him ever since that night I have been in love with him," Rachel described.

"What did Ross do?" Monica questioned.

"He explained that he couldn't be with me because he's with Amelia. He said I missed my chance all those years ago. Then he said he was sorry and hugged me. After we hugged… we kissed," Rachel said, sparing her friend the details.

"He kissed you back? How could he do that to his fiancée?" Monica started to become angry but Rachel cut her off.

"Mon, don't be mad because he ended the kiss and told me he couldn't do that to Amelia. Then he left," Rachel said before tears streamed down her face once again. "I love him so much, Mon. I didn't want him to leave."

"Rachel, come here," Monica said before hugging her friend for the second time that evening. "I wanted to talk to you about this when we got home yesterday, but I guess it's too late now," Monica said.

"What do you mean?" Rachel questioned, confused.

"Well, I was going to advise you not to do anything about your feelings for Ross. I just had a feeling you'd get hurt. Ross is too good, I knew he wouldn't leave his fiancée," Monica explained.

"I don't think I would have listened to you," Rachel said quietly. "I think it's better this way."

"Rachel, how is this good? He broke your heart," Monica replied.

"I think he should know how I feel. At least now he now knows all the facts; I know he made a proper decision. I needed to get that off my chest. After so many years of wondering what he would do or say, I know now. I won't have to live the rest of my life wondering what would happen," Rachel explained.

"But, Rach he didn't choose you. Don't you think you could have gone without knowing that?" Monica replied.

"Maybe I can move on," Rachel said with a sigh.

"Do you think you can move on?" Monica questioned.

"I have no choice," Rachel sadly responded, looking at Monica. Monica noticed a lifeless look in her best friend's eyes. Until this moment she had never known how much her brother truly meant to Rachel. They sat in silence until Rachel spoke again.

"He invited me to his wedding," Rachel changed the topic.

"What are you going to do?" Monica questioned.

"I'm not sure yet," Rachel answered.

…..

A few months later…

It was the day of Ross and Amelia's wedding. Rachel had told Ross a week ago that she had decided to come. But, of course, she was regretting her decision. It would be too hard to see Ross marry Amelia. Watching the wedding would only remind her how much she still loved him.

Rachel walked out of her bedroom to find Monica and Chandler dressed in their wedding attire, ready to leave. They were chatting on the couch. Monica and Chandler had continued to date. Their relationship was going well, and sometimes Rachel felt envious.

"Mon, can I talk to you for a second?" Rachel asked her best friend. She had made a decision to not go to the wedding after all.

"Why aren't you dressed? We have to leave in a few minutes," Monica said angrily, always wanting to be on schedule.

Monica had helped Ross and Amelia prepare for their wedding. She had perfectly planned out everything for the day. She enjoyed organization and bossing people around.

Rachel, on the other hand, confined herself in her bedroom while Ross and Amelia came over to discuss their wedding plans. Every so often she couldn't help but overhear Ross ask where she was, and that pulled on her heartstrings. All he wanted to do was maintain a friendship, but Rachel knew she had to push him away for her own sake.

"I wanted to talk to you about today," Rachel started in a dejected voice. Monica knew this would happen, and luckily she had planned what to say. Monica led Rachel into her room. Rachel sat on the bed, while Monica stood in front of her.

"Mon, I can't do it. I can't go to the wedding. It'll be too hard to watch him get married to Amelia," Rachel explained sorrowfully shaking her head. She flopped backwards to lie on the bed in frustration. She wanted to show Ross she was strong enough to go to his wedding. But, to her own displeasure, she knew she couldn't handle it.

"Rachel, this is going to be hard to watch. But just remember seeing him get married will give you a push to move on and forget about him. Plus, you've been so miserable lately you need to come and have a good time with us," Monica said motivationally, she didn't want to see her friend upset anymore.

Rachel considered what Monica said, she did want to get out of the apartment after hiding in her room for the past few months. But she still had doubts if she could be strong enough.

"I don't know Mon. I don't think I can do this," Rachel explained looking at the floor.

"Yes Rach, you can do this. Forget about Ross, you lost your chance with him, okay? I can't stand watching you beat yourself up over him; he's just one guy. There are plenty of other guys out there, eventually you will find the right one," Monica said firmly, as she tried to persuade Rachel.

"Ross is just one guy, but he's the one guy for me," Rachel sighed. "I don't want to move on."

"You have to. He's getting married to Amelia. You should come and support him, as a friend," Monica said. Rachel reluctantly gave up. Monica made many good points, she couldn't argue anymore.

"Fine, I'll go," Rachel said quietly.

"Good. Now go get changed," Monica said in a rushed manner.

…..

The church was beautiful. It had high ceilings and colourful stain glass windows. It was decorated with hundreds of flowers and there were glowing candles everywhere, which gave the room a romantic ambiance.

Rachel was left alone to find a place to sit in the church; both Monica and Chandler were in the wedding party. Monica was a bridesmaid and Chandler was Ross' best man, they would be standing at the front of the church during the ceremony. She would have to sit on her own, which was nerve-wracking. She wished someone would be there beside her to help her get through this.

It was almost time for the wedding to begin. The guests were seated and the wedding party was lined up behind the giant, wooden doors.

Soft piano music began to play. It was a lovely melody that echoed throughout the church.

Ross took his place at the altar. The minister stood at the Ross' side. Ross felt nervous as everyone looked at him.

Rachel's heart stopped when she saw how handsome Ross looked in his suit. It reminded her of when he wore a suit, similar to that one, to take her to prom. _Stop thinking these thoughts Rachel. You have to move on. He has._ Rachel tried to keep it together.

Ross looked out over the crowd. He saw his parents smiling proudly up at him, he saw Amelia's family and then he saw Rachel sitting near the back of the church. As they locked gazes he noticed the sad expression on her face and he felt a wave of guilt. He knew he was responsible for the tears in her beautiful blue eyes.

Soon the pianist played a different piece of music. That was the cue for the wedding party to enter. Monica entered first with one of the groomsmen. The rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked to the front before Chandler entered with the maid of honour. They all stood in lines on either side of the altar.

Rachel didn't look at anyone in the wedding party; she couldn't take her eyes off Ross.

The flower girl and ring bearer walked down the aisle next. The flower girl threw rose petals on the cream coloured carpet, as the ring bearer proudly carried the rings on a white pillow. When they reached the front the music flowed into the wedding march.

Everyone in the pews stood and turned their heads to see the bride. Amelia's dad led her through the double doors and down the aisle.

Rachel saw Ross focus on his bride. Rachel finally tore her gaze off of Ross to turn around and see what Amelia looked like. As much as Rachel was mad at Amelia she had to admit that she looked beautiful in her wedding gown.

Amelia wore her long light brown hair up in an intricate and elegant bun. Her dress was fitted and it had a long train. When they reached the altar her father lifted her vale and kissed her on the cheek. He placed Amelia's hand in Ross' giving her away.

Amelia took her place on the minister's other side as her father returned to his seat. The music finished as the minister began the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Ross Geller and Amelia Davis in holy matrimony. May this day mark the start of their married life. Let it be happy, prosperous and full of love. But before we begin if anybody objects to this marriage speak now or forever hold your peace."

Rachel had to force her mouth to stay closed. She wanted to stand up and shout 'I object' but, she felt a pang of guilt. Her conscience took over and made her stop. How could she ruin the happiest day of Ross' life?

Rachel couldn't bear to watch anymore of the wedding. She knew she needed to leave as soon as possible before she did something she would regret.

Watching this ceremony hurt her more than she had ever hurt before. Watching the man she loved get married hurt more than realizing Ross had always been telling the truth or when Ross moved away. It even hurt more than his rejection a few months previous.

Rachel understood, in that moment, how bad it could hurt to lose something you never really had. She couldn't continue to put herself through this pain.

Rachel crouched down as she squeezed past the people in her row. She exited the pew on the farthest side from the aisle; the last thing she wanted was for Ross to notice her leaving. She walked up the side of the church towards the double doors.

Monica noticed Rachel leaving but she couldn't do anything to make her stay. All she could do was hope that Rachel wouldn't run too far. The last thing she wanted was to never see her best friend again. All the while the minister continued with the service.

"The couple has chosen to write their own vows… Ross you go first," the minister said turning to Ross.

Rachel had reached the doorway and stopped for a second. But she soon decided she couldn't tolerate listening any longer. She especially couldn't stand the thought of hearing them say their vows to each other.

Rachel looked up at the altar just as Ross looked to the doors. They locked eyes with each other. Rachel gazed into his eyes longingly. Ross hesitated, he was torn.

"Ross?" the minister prompted.

So many thoughts ran through Ross' head as he stood there looking from Amelia to Rachel. He didn't know what he was going to do or say, but he made an impulsive decision: He had to stop Rachel from leaving.

"I-I'm sorry I can't do this," Ross said to the minister. He dropped Amelia's hands and ran down the aisle towards Rachel. Everyone watching the wedding started whispering to one another. Some people even gasped with shock.

Rachel was taken aback when she heard the word coming from Ross' mouth. She turned around to find Ross running towards her. She froze in place as she waited for him to come closer.

When Ross reached Rachel he stood beside her and turned towards the front of the church.

"I'm sorry Amelia I can't marry you… I'm still in love with Rachel," Ross stated. Rachel began to get choked up by his words. Ross turned his body so he was now facing Rachel. He reached out to hold both of Rachel's hands in his. He looked deep into her eyes before he spoke to her.

"I love you Rachel," Ross whispered, emotionally. He had a small smile on his face but tears in his eyes. "I want to be with you."

Tears stung Rachel's eyes as she had decided what she was going to do.

"Ross we can't be together, you said it yourself. You love Amelia, you're engaged to her, and in a little while you'll be married to her. I let you slip away from me, it's too late… You have to let me go. You have to marry her," Rachel said sadly as her tears overflowed. Ross' heart sank when he heard her reject him.

"But Rach… You can't go. I can't get you off my mind. I've loved you from the moment I met you. You occupy my dreams and every breath I take. My heart belongs to you and only you. I don't want to lose you again," Ross whispered.

"I'm sorry Ross… I can't let you do this to Amelia," Rachel whispered.

Ross and Rachel maintained their eye contact as Rachel gently began to pull her hands out of Ross'. But Ross tightened his grip on her wrists.

"Please Rachel… Don't go," Ross pleaded. He felt like his lungs were being squeezed, he couldn't breathe knowing he would never be with her. He was certain he knew who he was meant to be with and it was the woman he had in his hands.

"I have to leave… I'm sorry," Rachel whispered, almost inaudibly, through her tears. She pulled her hands out of his once more, Ross reluctantly let go of her.

Rachel walked out the doors of the church without looking at him again. She knew that if she looked and saw his wounded expression she wouldn't be able to leave.

Rachel realized this was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. But, she felt in her heart that she was doing the right thing.

Ross stood fixed in place, he was unable to move. He felt empty and alone. _She left_.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Again thank you to everyone who is reviewing or favouriting this story!**

**There will only be one more chapter after this :(**

**Please leave a review… Pleeease… :)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

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><p>Ross watched Rachel as she left the church. He wanted so bad to chase after her, but for some reason his legs wouldn't move. Ross suddenly felt so alone and helpless without her; it was as if she took all of his happiness with her.<p>

Ross snapped out of his daze and began thinking clearly. He turned to face the altar. He noticed everyone in the church staring at him. Some guests wore a look of anger, while others looked at him sympathetically, feeling sorry for him.

Ross began the long walk back to the altar, with every person's eyes burning into him. Over the duration of his return to the front he had many thoughts swirling through his head. He knew he had to make a decision about what he was going to do when he re-joined Amelia. _Should I go through with the wedding or should I chase after Rachel? Who do I love? _He thought to himself.

Ross felt bad for doing this to Amelia. After being with her for so long he had embarrassed them both by admitting his love for another woman. Ross hoped she hadn't heard everything or, if she did, he hoped that she would forgive him.

Ross had made his choice. No matter how much it hurt to let go of Rachel he had to marry Amelia. He would have had no problem marrying her if he was back in England. If he hadn't come back to New York his feelings for Rachel wouldn't have returned.

Even though Ross had made his conclusion he still felt like he was making a big mistake. Rachel was the one he loved. If he married Amelia Rachel would definitely never want to see him again. Could he live without her for a second time in his life? But, it didn't matter. Ross had made a promise to marry Amelia and he was not a man that went back on his word. He would have to live with it, no matter what the consequences.

All these thoughts caused Ross to make his way very slowly to stand beside Amelia. When he looked at Amelia's face she didn't look mad, surprisingly. She did have tears in her eyes, but her expression was blank. Ross wondered what was going through her head. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the minister's words.

"Ross, Amelia, do you want to continue the wedding?" the minister asked. He was extremely confused; he had never had this happen in all his years of officiating weddings.

"No, we are not going to continue," Amelia answered calmly. Ross hung his head looking at the floor in shame. He wasn't surprized that she didn't want to carry on, but he still felt bad. Ross was still shocked that Amelia was so composed and undisturbed by his actions. "Ross will you come with me, I want to talk to you for a moment," Amelia said, still calm. Ross agreed with a nod.

Amelia took Ross by the hand and led him into the sacristy. This room would have been the place where she and Ross would have signed the official documents after the ceremony. But, now she led Ross to it to talk with him in private.

Ross was nervous. Would Amelia yell at him? He felt like he deserved to be yelled at. In fact he wanted to be yelled at, the guilt made him feel terrible. How could someone do something like he had just done? All Ross knew was that he had to have a very serious and difficult discussion with her.

Amelia led Ross to the middle of the room right in front of a small table. He stood there, silent, while she closed the door. They both knew this conversation would be personal; she didn't want it to reach anyone else's ears.

Ross looked around the room for a few moments, trying hard to look anywhere other than Amelia's face. He took in the wood paneling and the dark red carpet. When he looked on the table he saw the marriage certificate they would have signed and felt even more guilt then he had already felt.

Ross couldn't stand the tension in the close quarters. He decided to start talking first. He hesitantly gave Amelia a timid look.

"Amelia, I know you want to shout at me and hit me, but please try to listen to what I have to say… What happened between me and Rachel was totally out of line. I'm so sorry I humiliated you like that. I promise that I love you, and this will never happen again. I'm over Rachel," Ross explained in a rush.

"Ross, I'm not going to yell at you, and I certainly don't want to hit you," Amelia stated.

"Really? Because I think I deserve it; I ruined everything. We had built a wonderful relationship over the last three years, and I had to let my past feelings get the best of me. I'm so sorry," Ross pleaded.

Amelia stood there for a minute thinking things over. She began to look sad as she looked down at her wedding dress. Ross couldn't stand the silence.

"Amelia, please say something. Please let me know what you're thinking," Ross requested.

"I'm thinking that you shouldn't be sorry. You did what you had to do. You love her," Amelia said, as she let a single tear roll down her face.

"But, that's no excuse to throw away the relationship I have with you. I asked you to marry me, so it's only fair for me to stick to my promise. I'll get over Rachel, I promise," Ross explained.

"Look, Ross, we have a lot of history together, but you and Rachel have so much more. You go way back with her and I can never compete with that. I love you so much but I won't let you settle for me. I can tell that you love her more than you've ever loved anyone else. I can see it in your eyes when you look at her or talk about her. I want you to follow your heart and go get her. You'll be so much happier with her than you'll ever be with me," Amelia said confidently.

Ross couldn't believe what she was saying. She was actually telling him to leave her and go get another woman. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. But Amelia's encouragement finally made Ross realize what he had to do. He knew he could let go of her and be with the woman he truly loved.

"I want to thank you Amelia, you've been so understanding with me. I'm extremely sorry things didn't work out. I think under different circumstances we would have been great together. I want you to know that I will never forget you. You have been wonderful to me," Ross said truthfully.

Ross leaned in and gave Amelia a sweet kiss on the cheek. Then he hugged her.

"I'll never forget you either, Ross. Now, listen to me, I want you to go find Rachel. When you find her hold on to her and never let her go ever again. You deserve to be happy with the woman you love, even if that woman isn't me," Amelia gave Ross a small smile.

Ross was touched by her kind words.

Amelia had motivated him to do what he needed to do. He took one last look at her, only he couldn't think of anything else to say. But Amelia didn't need him to say anything; his eyes said the entirety of what he was feeling. Ross gave her a thankful smile before he turned and left.

Ross exited the sacristy and searched the crowd for his sister. He was having a hard time getting to her because Amelia's family kept getting in the way. He was being showered by their harsh words of anger and disapproval. Ross ignored them and kept fighting his way through the crowded church.

Ross' parents approached him.

"What are you doing son?" Jack asked in a concerned manner.

"I'm going after the woman I truly love," Ross answered staring at his confused parents.

"Is Rachel really the one you love?" Jack asked.

"Dad, Mom I can't live without Rachel any longer," Ross answered. "I'm really sorry you had to spend all of this money on a wedding that didn't happen, but I have to follow my heart."

"Ross, if you're not happy marrying Amelia we won't force you to go through with this. Now go get Rachel," Judy said giving her son a pat on the back.

Ross continued to run until he finally reached Monica, who was standing with Chandler.

"I have to find her," Ross said seriously. Both Chandler and Monica knew what he meant. All three of them left the church in a rush.

…..

After she left Ross' wedding ceremony Rachel stood on the steps of the church. _What do I do, now?_ She contemplated. After a short amount of time she made a snap decision. A taxi came towards her and she signalled for it to stop. She quickly climbed into the taxi and told the driver where to go. They drove away from the curb.

Rachel rested her head against the window. She was feeling lightheaded. A bunch of memories occupied her thoughts. Some memories were good and some were painful, but all were about the man she had just left. A childhood memory was brought to mind when she thought about Ross.

_- - - Flashback - - -_

_A ten year old Rachel had just moved into a new house with her family. It was a large, red brick colonial house with black shutters and steps up to its grand front door. Her father was relocated to work at a new hospital. They had to move from their home in the suburbs to Long Island._

_Rachel was not happy about the move. Everything was changing; she would have to go to a new school and worst of all she would have to make new friends._

_Rachel was sitting on the front steps of her new home watching the movers carry in furniture and boxes of her family's belongings. As she saw her bike being unloaded from the moving van; she decided that she wanted to ride it. She went inside to ask her parents._

_Rachel's father was busy directing the movers, so Rachel looked around for her mom. She found her in the kitchen._

"_Mommy, can I ride my bike around the block?" Rachel asked with the pouty look her parents always fell for._

"_Sure sweetie. But, don't go too far, and be back in time for dinner," Sandra told her eldest daughter._

"_I promise, mommy!" Rachel exclaimed as she excitedly ran for the door, dodging movers who were bringing in a couch. Rachel ran into the front yard and approached one on the moving vans._

"_Excuse me, I need my bike and helmet," Rachel said to the mover that had taken her bike off the truck. He turned and grabbed her bike which had her helmet hanging off the handle bars. He placed them in front of her. Rachel quickly strapped on her helmet and hopped on her bike, which was pink with chrome fenders._

_Rachel rode off speedily down the street. She rounded the corner of the block and slowed down to look around her neighbourhood, as she rode. Rachel noticed the houses change as she rode further around the block; they were less impressive than her house. Rachel heard the voices of some kids nearby. _

_Sure enough she looked across the street, to her left, and saw two kids. They were around Rachel's age, and they were in their front yard. Rachel came to a stop across the street from their house. She watched them curiously. She noticed that these kids were very different from her. They didn't live in a fancy house and they weren't playing with expensive toys._

_The boy was sitting in the grass reading a book about dinosaurs, while the girl was eating a cookie on the front steps._

_Rachel wanted to say hello but she was too scared. But, the girl noticed Rachel. She got up from the steps and walked over to Rachel, with a friendly smile on her face. She had never seen this girl before; she wondered if she was new to the neighbourhood._

"_Hi, I'm Monica Geller. What's your name?" Monica asked. Rachel got off her bike and took off her helmet._

"_I'm Rachel Green. My family just moved in around the block," Rachel said as she pointed in the direction of her new house._

"_So, that's why we saw so many moving trucks driving around today. Where did you move from?" Monica asked. Rachel liked this girl already; she was very kind and welcoming._

"_I moved from just outside the city. My dad got a new job. I have to go to a new school now," Rachel explained sadly._

"_What school are you going to?" Monica asked._

"_It's the one that's down the street from the high school. I don't know what it's called," Rachel said. Monica smiled a big smile._

"_That's my school too!" Monica told Rachel excitedly. "How old are you?"_

"_I'm ten," Rachel answered._

"_Me too!" Monica exclaimed. "Maybe we'll be in the same class!"_

"_Well, I hope we are. I don't know anyone here, so I don't have any friends," Rachel said._

"_You can be my friend!" Monica said happily. Rachel was glad that she would know one person at her school. "Do you want to meet my brother?" Monica asked._

"_Sure," Rachel replied. Monica took Rachel's hand and led her to her house. The tall, lanky boy with short brown hair looked up from his book to see his sister with a new friend._

"_Rachel this is my brother Ross," Monica said gesturing to Ross. Ross stood up as he closed his book. He got a weird feeling in his stomach when he looked at Rachel. He thought she was pretty._

"_Hi," Ross said shyly._

"_Hi, Ross. How old are you?" Rachel asked._

"_I'm eleven," Ross said, nervously. Monica interrupted their conversation._

"_Rachel is the same age as me, and she's going to our school," Monica said, excited that she had a new friend._

"_Cool," Ross replied._

"_Are you reading about dinosaurs?" Rachel asked Ross, pointing at the book he was holding._

"_Um, ya. I like learning about them," Ross said blushing embarrassedly, but he wasn't sure why. Normally he would be proud to tell people he liked dinosaurs. _

"_That's good. Maybe when you're older you'll dig up their bones," Rachel said. She wanted to be friends with Ross, too. He seemed nice, not like all the rude boys at her old school. Then, Rachel realized that she had been out for a while, she had to get home._

"_It was nice to meet you guys, but I have to go home for dinner," Rachel told her two new friends._

"_Okay. Why don't you come over tomorrow?" Monica suggested. _

"_Sure," Rachel responded. Monica gave Rachel a hug. When the hug was over Rachel turned to Ross. She gave him a quick hug too. Ross didn't know why but, again, he blushed a deep red._

_Rachel put on her helmet and rode back home. She had a feeling that she, Monica and Ross were going to be great friends._

_Ross watched as Rachel biked off around the block. Monica turned to Ross, she had noticed how shy he was being and how he blushed when Rachel hugged him._

"_You like Rachel, don't you?" Monica asked. Ross snapped out of his daze and looked at her. _

"_That's crazy Mon," Ross replied nervously. He himself wasn't quite sure what was going on, but if he did like her he couldn't let anyone know. _

Rachel was crying again as she remembered the day she and Ross met. They had known each other forever and now she had to leave him. She found out he liked her after they were in typing class together. It was Monica who had told her about his crush on her.

Rachel regretted being too shallow to ever give Ross a chance. Now she was in love with him, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Rachel was certain she had to leave. She didn't want to live seeing him happily married to Amelia. She admitted to herself that couldn't stand Amelia with her good looks, brilliant mind and British accent.

The cab stopped in front of Rachel and Monica's apartment building. Rachel paid the driver and then rushed upstairs. She fumbled with her keys before her shaky hands unlocked the apartment door. When she got inside she rushed into her bedroom.

Rachel quickly changed out of her dress and struggled to open her closet. She changed into whatever clothes her hands landed on.

Once she was fully clothed she frantically grabbed her suitcase and forcefully packed as many of her belongings she could fit inside it.

Rachel was still crying. Her tears came out in great sobs making her gasp for air. She had never been through so much pain. Rachel picked up her bag and entered the living room. But, before she left she had one more thing to do. She scrambled around the apartment to find a pen and paper.

Rachel scribbled down a note to Monica. Her tears fell on the paper leaving wet drops. She folded the note in half and left it on the kitchen table. Then, she grabbed her things and ran out the door, leaving apartment 20 for good.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Well, this is the last chapter of this story. I'm sad to see it end; I really enjoyed writing it!**

**I know I say it at the beginning of every chapter but, I really do want to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed and/or favourited this story (especially RainbowGummyBears, DaniRodas, jenanistonfan, LolaLuv and rockdragon293 who all reviewed a few times). **

**This was my first story and it took me so long after the show to post it because I wasn't sure people would like it, but it turns out many of you do! **

**I'm glad that even after all the years Friends has been off the air I can still hear from fans who enjoy watching and reading about this incredible show as much as I enjoy it! So, keep the fan spirit alive by continuing to read fanfictions!**

**This won't be the last time you hear from me, I plan to write many more fanfictions! I already have an idea for a new story; I just need time to plan it out. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Please let me know your final thoughts on this story in a review!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to m****e.**

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><p>Ross, Monica and Chandler left the church running. They had no idea where Rachel had gone, but they had a feeling she would want to get as far away from the church as possible. Chandler flagged down a cab and the three of them got in.<p>

"Where do we look first?" Monica asked. They all went silent not knowing what to say. Where could she have gone?

"We should start somewhere other than the apartment, I don't think she'd want to run to such an obvious place," Chandler suggested.

Chandler had become good friends with Rachel after he came to New York; he didn't want her to leave. He also knew how much Monica enjoyed having Rachel as a friend. He didn't want to consider how she would all feel if they couldn't find her.

Chandler couldn't stand seeing Ross and Monica so upset. He knew very well how much Ross loved Rachel. When Ross first moved to London he was very private about his personal life. But Chandler soon found out, in a heart to heart, what the reason for that was: It hurt too much for Ross to talk about his past.

When Ross had first told Chandler about how much he loved Rachel Chandler felt sorry for him. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to see the woman you love choose someone else. Chandler and Ross became good friends when Chandler encouraged him to move on while, of course, making him laugh by telling him jokes.

Chandler thought all along that Ross was happy with Amelia. Only one day came to his mind, while Ross was dating her, which he was hesitant to move on from Rachel.

Chandler recalled that conversation he had had with Ross as he stared out the cab window at the city streets.

_- - -_ _Flashback - - - _

_Chandler returned from work to find Ross home from yet another job interview. He was sitting on the couch with the television on, but he wasn't paying any attention to it._

"_How did the interview go?" Chandler questioned._

"_I think it went well…" Ross answered trailing off as if he had a lot on his mind. Chandler noticed his friend's behaviour._

"_Ross? What's up?" Chandler asked._

"_Well, after my interview I went and bought an engagement ring," Ross began, before Chandler interrupted him._

_"Oh Ross! That's so sweet! Of course I'll marry you!" Chandler said, trying to lighten the mood. Chandler cringed at the death stare he got from Ross. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Continue," Chandler said as he sat on the couch as well._

"_I bought it to propose to Amelia. I figure it's about time, we've been dating long enough," Ross said looking at the floor._

"_What's the problem then? You do want to marry her, don't you?" Chandler asked._

"_I'm not sure... I thought I did, but now I'm having second thoughts. I don't know if I can go through with it," Ross replied sadly._

"_This isn't about Rachel is it?" Chandler questioned, knowing his friend all too well._

"_It is. I love Amelia but for some reason I can't get Rachel off my mind," Ross said leaning back on the couch in frustration. Chandler knew he had to give his friend advice, even if he wasn't very good at it._

"_Ross if you love Rachel so much then return to New York, see if she will date you now. It won't be beneficial for you or Amelia if you have second thoughts during your engagement or worse your marriage," Chandler explained._

"_I could do that… I wish I had the courage to but, what if I break up with Amelia and then return to New York and Rachel doesn't want to be with me still. What will I do then?" Ross asked. He had been through this scenario in his head many times, and now he wanted Chandler's opinion._

"_I think you've made your decision. You have a good relationship with Amelia. If you don't want to take the risk and leave her then you should go through with the proposal. You'll just have to forget about Rachel, accept that it didn't work out," Chandler explained. Ross nodded in agreement. _

As Chandler remembered that exchange he wished he had encouraged Ross to go for Rachel. That way they wouldn't be in this mess and Ross would be happy.

…..

Ross was looking down at his clasped hands. He tried hard to think about anything other than the obvious thought in his mind. But it kept coming back to him: _What do I do if I can't find her?_

Ross told himself he wouldn't stop looking for her until they could be together. He had made a mistake by trying to marry Amelia. But, then again how was he supposed to know Rachel loved him.

It had taken him years to get over her. Once Ross got to England he threw himself into his studies to try and replace his thoughts with anything other than her. It wasn't working until he met Amelia. She was so nice to him and so fun to be around. He had realized that the difference between her and Rachel was that Amelia loved him back. Rachel had never loved him.

But, in this moment, the past didn't matter. When he returned to New York a few months ago he found the answer to his lifelong question. He was hung up on Rachel because she completed him, as cliché as it sounded.

Ross was visited by this realization every time he looked at Rachel. All these years Ross had been trying to trick himself into thinking he loved Amelia. But he had never admitted to himself that he knew the space in his heart could never be filled by any other woman.

Ross had always known that on the outside Rachel was just a beautiful, spoiled rich girl but on the inside she had a big heart. Why else would she have stayed friends with Monica despite her appearance, which was far from Rachel's other attractive friends? He knew one day her big heart would lead her to him. They were meant for each other. He had always had a feeling that someday she would fall for a smart, thoughtful guy like himself.

Rachel finally loved him and he declined it because he thought it was the responsible thing to do. He had made a huge mistake by letting her get away. For this reason alone, he knew he had to find her.

…..

They searched everywhere for any sign of Rachel. They looked from Central Perk to Central Park but, Rachel was nowhere to be found.

Ross felt terrible. Whenever they looked somewhere and didn't find her his heart sank and he was plunged further and further into agony. He was beginning to lose hope. Maybe he really had missed his chance.

It was getting late and the three were exhausted.

"Ross, why don't we all go home, get some sleep and continue tomorrow?" Monica suggested. She tried to comfort her brother with a rub on the shoulder; she had never seen him so upset.

Monica was also upset not only because Rachel was her closest friend but for her brother. When she and Ross were teenagers, she noticed his feelings for Rachel grow day by day. She had always rooted for them to get together. Monica didn't believe in soul mates, but she did believe in people being suited for each other.

Ross and Rachel suited each other perfectly. Rachel and Monica were always more like sisters than friends. They knew each other better than anyone else did and because of this Monica knew Rachel was perfect for Ross. She knew it then and she knew it now.

"Mon, you two can go home, but I'm not going to rest until I find her," Ross said confidently.

"At least come home and change out of your suit," Monica suggested.

"Fine," Ross gave in.

…..

Ross and Chandler headed to their apartment, while Monica headed to her own. The weight of the evening's events weighed on her shoulders. She walked slowly up the stairs, all her energy drained. She unlocked the door to her apartment.

The apartment seemed cold and lonely with Rachel gone. Monica walked into Rachel's room and noticed a bunch of Rachel's belongings were missing. She hurriedly walked back into the living room to phone Ross, when she noticed a note on the kitchen table.

Monica instantly knew who it was from. She picked up the phone and immediately began dialling Ross' number; her hands were shaking with anticipation.

…..

Ross was about to change out of his suit when the phone rang.

He hoped with all his remaining strength to hear Rachel's voice on the other end. He rushed to pick up the phone, almost letting it slip from his fingers with his eagerness. He was slightly disappointed to hear Monica's voice.

"Ross! There's a note! Rachel left a note! Get over here now!" Monica shouted. Ross didn't say anything he just called Chandler into the room. He explained about the note, and then they left running.

…..

When Ross and Chandler reached the apartment they didn't have to knock, Monica was waiting impatiently to answer the door. Ross ran in and grabbed the paper. He noticed the tear stains before he unfolded it. He read the note to himself.

_I'm sorry but I can't stand being here anymore._

_I love Ross too much and seeing him with her tears me apart._

_It breaks my heart more than you will ever understand to know I can't be with him._

_I'm leaving, but I haven't decided where I'm going._

_I don't want to come between Ross and Amelia._

_I'll miss you all -Rachel_

Ross' breathing became shallow. He read it over once, twice hoping this didn't mean what he thought it meant. But he knew reading it over wouldn't change the fact that Rachel was gone.

He handed the paper to Monica. She read it and then handed it to Chandler. Monica started to cry. Would they ever see Rachel again? And worst of all would Ross ever see her again?

"This-this can't be it. I need her. I can't live without her," Ross said, unable to force his voice to be more than a whisper. He turned to Monica and Chandler. All his pain was written across his face.

"She must have packed her bags and left," Monica thought out loud. A light went on in Ross' head, he knew where she was.

"I'm going to the airport," Ross said rushed, as he turned towards the door. Monica grabbed Ross' arm.

"Good luck," She said. Ross nodded as she let go of his arm.

…..

Rachel sat in the waiting area of the airport. She hadn't bought a ticket yet. She was still crying but quieter than before, not wanting to attract any attention from the people around her. She looked at the flight board trying to decide where to go.

Rachel had no idea how long she'd been sitting there. It could have been hours, but to her it felt like days. The only thing she was thinking about was Ross. She had to live with the fact that she wouldn't ever see him again. The pain of that thought caused her to put her head in her hands.

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by one voice. She knew whose it was immediately. It came from the one person she wanted to hear from and didn't want to hear from at the same time.

"Rach," the soft voice from her left spoke. She thought she was imagining it.

"Rach," the voice repeated, this time it was louder and more desperate. Rachel felt someone's presence. She looked up, and to her disbelief, Ross was standing in front of her, still in his suit.

"Ross. How did you know where to find me?" Rachel asked.

"Monica found your note. I read it and just had a feeling you'd be here," Ross replied.

"Ross you should go. You shouldn't be with anyone other than your wife on your wedding night," Rachel said sadly.

"Actually, I don't have a wife. I didn't end up marrying Amelia. I just couldn't seem to get this other woman out of my head," Ross said sweetly. He looked Rachel in the eyes; it was obvious he meant her.

"Ross, that's crazy. I won't let you leave Amelia for me. I'm not worth it. Go back to her," Rachel explained as she stood up from her chair. As she began to walk away Ross puts his hand on her shoulder. Rachel turned around, still keeping her distance from him.

"Rachel, please don't go," Ross pleaded, begging her with his eyes.

"I have to," Rachel said looking at the floor.

"Rachel, I've never been able to stop thinking about you, even when I was with Amelia. I tried so hard to move on when I was in England, but it was impossible. I started dating Amelia to try and forget about you, but my feelings never went away. When you told me you loved me, I realized I could never stop loving you. Please give me another chance," Ross explained.

"Ross, I don't understand. How can you still love me? I was so rude to you all those years ago about the whole Chip thing. How can you possibly love me after I didn't believe you?" Rachel wondered aloud.

"Rachel it doesn't matter what you did to me. Even when you didn't believe me I still loved you because I always knew that you had a big heart. You were always so sweet and kind to me and Monica. I knew there was more to you than you showed on the outside and that's what I couldn't forget," Ross explained. Rachel smiled slightly but quickly stopped.

"But, I was terrible to you. You shouldn't be with someone like me. Go back to Amelia she's nice to you, she makes you smile and she loves you too," Rachel countered.

"I can't Rachel because you're the only one for me. Somehow we just are meant to be together. My heart only belongs to you, it has since the moment I met you. I know I told you I had moved on, but I lied to you and myself. How could I ever move on from the only woman I've ever loved? I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else," Ross replied.

Rachel began to cry again; she thought she would run out of tears with all the crying she was doing tonight. Ross soon spoke again.

"Rachel I want to forget about the past. I know you love me and if you leave we'll both be unhappy. I don't want to live without you ever again. Last time was hard but this would be harder because, if it's possible, I think I love you more now than when we were teenagers. I can't stand the thought of never seeing you again," Ross said his voice came out softly, he was now crying too.

Ross stood there for a moment before he said the words he'd always wanted to say to her.

"I love you," Ross said looking deep into her eyes.

It was as if Rachel had stepped out of the darkness and into the warm sunlight. She was overcome with emotion. She wanted to be with him so bad.

Finally she gave in and ran into his arms. Ross hugged her tightly. They never wanted to let go of each other. Their tears kept falling, but this time for a good reason. Finally they were both happy.

"I love you too, Ross. I don't want to ever be apart again. I'm sorry about the past," Rachel said still in Ross' arms.

"Rachel don't be sorry, forget about the past that was just stupid teenage mistakes. We need to start acting like adults. That's why I want you to know my future is with you," Ross said before leaning to look Rachel straight in the eyes. He smiled and Rachel returned his smile.

Ross gently brushed a stray piece of hair from Rachel's face. She stared deep into his eyes, seeing the future she wanted. He wrapped his hands around her waist to pull her closer and whispered "I love you" into her ear.

His loving words, so honest and kind, drove her mad. Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and quickly pressed her lips against his, parting her lips slightly. Ross chuckled a bit as he squeezed her tightly against his chest. They didn't care that everyone in the airport was watching. They kissed until they had to pull away for a breath.

They looked at each other again, their noses almost touching. She could feel the warmth of his breath brushing the top of her lip as she looked deep into his chocolate brown eyes. Rachel stood on her toes and closed the distance so their lips could touch once more. This kiss was less urgent, but it was still full of passion and love.

They had both waited so long for this moment. Finally there was no one in the way of them being together. Not Chip, not Amelia. That moment was the beginning of forever.

The End


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